Be Together
by Nautical Paramour
Summary: The Death Eaters, in control of the ministry, create a marriage law with the sole intention of separating Hermione from Harry and Ron. Hermione must learn to deal with her new husband, Rabastan Lestrange. The Death Eaters didn't anticipate how persuasive Hermione can be. Rabastan/Hermione. COMPLETE!
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.

A/N: Here is my new story. It's a Rabastan/Hermione marriage law situation. It will be a little bit drama filled, I think, and I hope that you like it! I think it will be about 16 chapters, but I have only written the first three chapters so far. I will be updating Wednesdays. This was inspired by the song Be Together by Major Lazer. You should definitely check it out.

Please let me know what you think of chapter one, and be on the lookout for chapter two next week!

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Hermione sometimes wondered if it would have been better not to be a witch. What her life would have been like if she'd never gotten that fateful visit from Professor McGonagall all those years ago, she would never know for certain. But she definitely knew that she wouldn't be on the run, public enemy number three to the wizarding world, with her two best friends Harry and Ron.

It was an eventuality that she'd been preparing for longer than she cared to admit. After they were attacked by Death Eaters in the Department of Mysteries, the urgency of their mission seemed to become unbearable. She couldn't believe that grown men and women would dare to try to kill children, especially over a prophesy, but then, she supposed that was what Death Eaters do.

During her sixth year, she began making quiet arrangements for her parents safety. She'd spoken to Professor McGonagall about their protection, but the older witch assured her that the Death Eaters wouldn't be able to find them. Still, she wasn't satisfied, and she started teaching herself memory charms. She'd been heartbroken when she actually had to use the obliviate earlier that year, but she took comfort knowing that Wendall and Monica Wilkins were safe in Australia. Maybe, someday when this all blew over, she could go to Australia and get them back.

That is, if this ever blew over.

She never expected to be attacked at a wedding either. She'd hoped that Bill and Fleur's wedding would be peaceful, one last vestige of the happy world she knew before Voldemort. She'd hoped to spend the night dancing, enjoying cake and champagne. Instead, Death Eaters had killed the Minister of Magic, and attacked the Burrow.

The steps that followed had happened so fast that Hermione still wasn't entirely sure she understood everything that was going on. Harry and Ron were so lucky that they had her. Neither one had thought to pack any kind of things in case they had to leave in a hurry.

Now they were holed up in Grimmauld Place, just the three of them, with Kreacher. Their plans seemed so hopeless now, being that they had a fake horcrux, with no idea where the real one was or any idea of who R.A.B. could possibly be. Instead, they spent the days lounging about, talking about what they should do next, but never actually having any action.

Even though she missed Headmaster Dumbledore, she was sometimes upset for leaving them like this. He'd barely told Harry anything that they were supposed to do, or how they should achieve it. All he'd given them was a snitch, a deluminator, and a book. How those were supposed to help them, Hermione couldn't understand, no matter how hard she thought on it.

No, Hermione thought, she wouldn't have to deal with any of this if she'd just been a simple muggle. She probably would be getting ready to attend University that fall. She'd probably have graduated top of her class, with no friends.

She certainly wouldn't be dealing with the annoyance of reading about the Muggleborn Registration Commission. It was so asinine, Hermione thought, every time they could get their hands on a Daily Prophet, and read something else that Madame Umbridge was trying to push through to further restrict muggleborns. Hermione knew she was in a uniquely precarious situation being that she was basically Queen Mudblood to the Ministry of Magic, being Harry Potter's best friend. She also knew that her extremely high magical test scores hadn't gone unnoticed either.

So, then, she really shouldn't have been surprised when a Ministry owl dropped off a brightly purple colored letter addressed to her. Taking it, Ron stared at her over his breakfast. "How did it find you, Mione? Shouldn't we be untraceable her at Grimmauld Place?"

Hermione frowned. She tended to agree with Ron, but she had no idea how the owls found the witch or wizard a letter that it was addressed to. "I don't know, Ronald." She looked down and notice that her hands were shaking.

"Well, come on then, Hermione. Open it." Harry urged her. For whatever reason he had a bad feeling about it.

Hermione cleared her throat as she opened the envelope. "Dear Miss Granger,

Congratulations you have been selected to participate in Act 927.861 as a known muggle-born witch. Participation in this act will ensure that you are properly accounted for by a wizard of acceptable magical birth.

Act 927.861 stipulates that all muggle-born witches become bonded in matrimony to a wizard of the Ministry of Magic's choosing. Your betrothed has been selected for you and we are excited to announce that you have been paired with Mr. Rabastan Lestrange.

To facilitate successful completion of your participation, this letter is also a portkey-"

Hermione felt dread pool in her stomach and tried to drop the letter, but it felt like her fingers were stuck to the paper. A sticking charm? She tried to shake it off, but was unable.

"Hermione?" Harry asked, panicked, seeing the fear in her eyes.

Before she could tell them that she couldn't get rid of the letter, she felt the portkey begin to activate and then she was spinning, spinning away from Grimmauld Place. With a thud, she landed on her arse on a very nice persian rug.

Before she could even reach for her wand or stand up, a deep male voice was calling out, "Expelliarmus." She felt her wand fly to him. Helplessly, she looked up and saw that she was surrounded by the worst kind of people. Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy were standing there. Lucius looked gaunt and not the usual coiffed man she was expecting. Narcissa Malfoy looked happy and excited, and like there was nothing wrong with kidnapping a young woman.

Bellatrix Lestrange and her husband was there. Bellatrix looked as insane as usual and was chuckling low in her throat, twirling her wand in her hand. "Well, if it isn't itty bitty mudblood Granger."

Antonin Dolohov was there as well, and Hermione thought, someone else called Rockwood. She was surrounded on all sides by Death Eaters. Hermione decided that she needed to harness the fear she was feeling in order to get through this alive.

She struggled to stand up, but she was still a bit sore from falling down on the ground. Before should could get up though, Bellatrix started laughing louder. "Crucio!" The white hot pain lasted only a minute, but it had her on the ground again, trying to contain the groan in her throat.

When the pain stopped, she opened her eyes and stared up at the ceiling. "Where am I?" She asked, trying to just focus on anything else than her impending death.

"Malfoy Manor." Narcissa said gently, looking at Hermione with something akin to kindness in her eyes.

"Why?" Hermione demanded.

"You insolent mudblood!" Bellatrix screamed again. "Crucio!"

This time Hermione couldn't stop the small whimper that came out of her throat. When it was over, she sat up, feeling her head swimming with pain. Her face was wet, and reaching up, she realized that it was her tears. "If you've brought me here to kill me, just get it over with."

"Oh, we don't want to kill you...yet." Bellatrix said with a smirk. "The Dark Lord has big plans for you."

"What makes you think I'd ever help him?" Hermione asked, rudely.

"Crucio!" Bellatrix cursed her a third time, and this time the force of it was so strong that she couldn't stop from crying out. The pain felt like it was going on and on.

"Enough, Bella!" The same deep voice said from outside the circle. This was the man that had her wand. "The Dark Lord promised me that she was smart. I'm already being forced to marry a mudblood, what good is she to me if she's completely lost her mind."

"Come on, Rab, you should let me have a little fun with her." Bellatrix let her fingers run up Rabastan's arm, not noticing his look of disgust. "It could be like the old days."

"No, The Dark Lord told me I got all final decisions when it comes to _her_. So leave it." He hissed, his voice so low that Hermione could barely hear it.

Bellatrix humphed, stopping the curse, and turning away from Hermione and the circle. Hermione took a moment to study this man who was supposedly Rabastan Lestrange. He was quite tall, especially from her vantage point on the floor. He had short, dark, auburn hair and light green eyes that raked over her body with something like disdain.

The only time she'd seen him before was presumably at the Department of Mysteries when these same Death Eaters were trying to kill her and her friends. The man that she saw today looked nothing like what she remembered. He'd been unshaven, with old patched clothing that was too big for his frame. He'd been so skinny, his skin stretched tight across bone. But now, he was still slender, just he seemed to have filled out a bit. He was certainly an imposing man.

To her surprise, he reached down and offered her a hand. Hermione refused to take it, and instead helped herself up. Rabastan frowned at her, but took his hand away from her. Seeing the defiance in her eyes, he turned away from the circle, leaving the room as well.

Finally, Lucius looked down at her disdainfully, his snake head cane held tightly in his hand. Clearly he didn't want her there anymore than she wanted to be there. "Narcissa, please escort our...esteemed guest to the room that she will be staying in."

Smiling down at her, Narcissa offered her an arm, so that they might walk elbow to elbow around Malfoy Manor. Hermione initially resisted, but Narcissa wasn't taking no for an answer, and soon her arm was held tightly in Narcissa's warm grasp. "Of course my darling. Shall I join you for lunch today?"

Lucius shook his head stiffly, effectively dismissing the two remaining women in the room. With a sigh that would have been undetectable if Hermione hadn't been arm and arm with Narcissa, Narcissa nodded, and walked Hermione from the room, keeping her close to her body.

They walked in silence for what felt like miles. Malfoy Manor was impressive as a museum of some kind, but she couldn't imagine actually living here. Everything was priceless and untouchable and cold stone. In a moment of compassion, she thought of a small Draco trying to grow up here, trying to stay out of mind and out of trouble. As it was, she thought she might be able to go undetected for weeks in this place.

When they finally arrived at the room that she would be staying in, Narcissa released Hermione, gently pushing her through the door to the bedroom. It was done up in gold and blue and white. The bed looked very inviting, and a cheerful fire gave it warmth, which was a nice update from the drafty hallways. "The bathroom is just through here." Narcissa remarked.

The bathroom was larger than the room she shared with Ginny at Grimmauld place, all gleaming white surfaces, a bright spot in an otherwise dreary house. It had an inviting looking tub with many taps, just like at the Prefect's bathroom in Hogwarts. It was rather nice, Hermione thought.

Whirling around to look at the blonde woman she asked, annoyed. "Why are you doing this?"

Frowning, Narcissa seemed confused. "What do you mean? Showing you hospitality?"

"Yes." Hermione bit out. That was the smallest of her questions, but she didn't want to push it with Narcissa either.

"Well, you are a guest in our home. It's only proper that you are well taken care of while you are here." Narcissa said, leading them back into the main bedroom.

Hermione couldn't contain the snort at Narcissa's words. "Guest? More like I've been taken prisoner. You kidnapped me from my home, where I was perfectly happy to remain."

Narcissa frowned again, her patience obviously beginning to wane with Hermione's attitude. "We are just following the letter of the law." Narcissa let her eyes sweep up and down Hermione's body, clearly not pleased with what she saw. "Now, lunch will be served shortly. Moffet, will be by to bring it to you. Dinner will be brought to you at half past seven. If you require anything at all, it's only a house elf call away."

Hermione thought about the older woman's words. She wouldn't dream of asking the house elf to bring her anything. "Fine."

"Now, is there anything that you require before I take my leave?" Narcissa asked, one excessively groomed, light brown eyebrow raised.

"Could I have my wand back?" Hermione asked, her chin jutted out in defiance.

Narcissa tsked quietly. "Now, Miss Granger, that is a question to ask your betrothed. Perhaps if you behave, he will give it back to you. Enjoy your day. I will be by tomorrow to prepare you for the ceremony." Narcissa left the room, closing the door behind her.

Hermione looked around the room, barely containing a scream of frustration. She didn't want them to know how they were getting to her. Still it didn't stop her from overturning a small table on her way to the bed. When she reached the white comforter, she threw herself face first in amongst the pillows, tears coming to her eyes. Even worse, she detested that this was the softest bed she'd ever been on.

Crying to herself bitter tears at having got into the mess somehow, she felt herself slowly drift to sleep.

Sometime later, she was awoken by a tiny house elf. "Moffet is sorry to be waking Miss, but Miss already be missing lunch and Moffet think Miss ought not to miss dinner as well."

"Thank you." Hermione said simply, her face feeling hot and tight from her long dried tears.

Moffet took her hand, leading her over to a set of table and chairs by the window. She was greeted by a half roasted chicken, mashed potatoes and brussel sprouts, her favorite meal at Hogwarts. How had they known?

Sighing, and knowing that not being at her full strength wouldn't help her at all, Hermione tucked into the warm dinner, hating to admit that the flavor was delicious. It had been weeks since she, Harry and Ron had had a proper meal, instead scrounging around the cupboards of Grimmauld Place for food that was still good to eat, and occasionally sending out Kreacher to find something for them.

Hermione felt fear and despair settle into her stomach with each bite of food. Oh Harry and Ron, they must be worried with her snatched before their very eyes. She hoped that they didn't do anything reckless or stupid, but she knew that she was the one that typically held them back from acting rashly.

With her dinner finished, and her belly full, Hermione decided that it wouldn't be the worst thing in the world to take a bath. Hesitantly, she made her way to the gorgeous bathroom that she'd seen earlier. Stripping out of her clothes, she got the bath an acceptable temperature and chose a relaxing scented bubble bath before stepping into the scalding water.

Drawing her knees to her chest, Hermione felt tears prickle in the back of her eyes. Why were they doing this to her? What purpose could her marrying Rabastan Lestrange possibly serve Voldemort? Clearly Rabastan was less than happy with being forced to marry a mudblood. Those had been the words that he used, hadn't he?

She remembered him saying that she was meant to be smart, but then, what use was smarts to a Death Eater? She didn't really know much about Rabastan at all, but perhaps he just wanted a companion that he could talk with. He _had_ saved her from the Cruciatus curse, something that Hermione had been grateful for. But, by the same token, he'd won her wand from her and hadn't given it back.

It was probably for the best, thought, as Hermione was sure to fight her way out of here if she _did_ have her wand on hand.

Soon, she began to think of Narcissa's words...the ceremony was to be held tomorrow. God, she couldn't imagine being married to a _Death Eater_ tomorrow. Her body shuddered in revulsion. By this time tomorrow she'd likely be raped. She felt silly all of a sudden, saving her virginity for a man that she loved. Now, it was going to be taken from her if she wanted it or not.

When she had sat in the bath long enough to be significantly pruny, Hermione finally stood up and dried herself with one of the excessively fluffy towels that was hanging on the warming rack. Damn the Malfoys and their elegance! She promised herself that she wouldn't fall for these little, hollow, empty comforts.

Then she remembered that all she had were the clothes on her back. Picking up her underwear from the floor, she frowned. It felt dirty to put them back on, especially without a scourgify, but she didn't have her wand, and she'd never mastered wandless magic. Still, she wouldn't let the Death Eaters find her naked and warm for the taking in the other room. She slipped the simple cotton knickers back up her legs.

Then she picked up her pink jumper and put that on as well, before walking into the other room. She carefully folded her jeans and placed them on the nightstand next to her bed with a sigh, before climbing in. She knew she wouldn't be able to get any sleep with jeans on.

Despite sleeping most of the day away, she felt incredibly tired. Probably the stress of everything that she had been through that day. Still, she let her eyes drift shut, arms wrapped around a big down pillow. She wanted to be as well rested as possible for tomorrow. Hermione Granger wasn't going to go down without a fight.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.

A/N: Wow! Absolutely loving the response to this story, as I know it's an unusual pairing. Over 25 favorites and over 60 follows after one chapter! And huge thanks to the reviewers: pianomouse, ptl4ever419, twztdwildcat, everlastingtrueromance, OptiumusPrimegirl213, alexandria . arias9045, Guest, Relent1ess, Pwrmom2, SereniteRose, articcat621, surugasasa, ayuzachan and morethanbooks! You guys rock!

Please let me know what you though of chapter two and be on the lookout for chapter three next week. Also, I would love some advice on getting more readers for an unusual pairing like this.

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When Hermione finally woke up the next morning, it was to the sight of two very dark black eyes staring inches away from her face. Instantly, Hermione shrank back into the pillows, desperate to get away from the person that had invaded her personal space. Then she heard the familiar cackle, and knew that it was Bellatrix.

"Finally, you're awake." The woman groused, although clearly amused by Hermione's fear response.

"Bella, be nice to her. It is her wedding day after all." Narcissa scolded from behind her sister. "We must be kind to Hermione. Don't you remember how nervous you were on your wedding day?"

Hermione sat up, giving the two witches odd glances. What were they doing here?

Bellatrix didn't take her sparkling dark eyes off of Hermione's face. "All I can remember from my wedding day is Rodolphus fucking me through the night. I couldn't even sit properly for a week." Her feral grin had Hermione's eyes widening.

Would that be what it was like for her? She did not want to _fuck_ Rabastan Lestrange.

"Now, Bella, I seem to remember you crying, begging father not to make you marry that brute." Narcissa said snidely. "Just because you look back on it fondly now, doesn't mean that you weren't nervous."

Hermione gulped. Not being able to sit properly was looking back on it _fondly?_ Clearly, Bellatrix was more than a bit unhinged.

"Now, Hermione, stop dallying about." Narcissa instructed. "It's time for your breakfast."

Seeing Hermione's hesitation, Bellatrix snarled. "Do it _now_ or I will imperio you!"

Hermione quickly swung her bare legs over the side of the bed, grabbing for the jeans that were next to her on the nightstand. She quickly put one foot in each leg of the pants and pulled them up, not wanting to be presented in front of the two women with just her knickers on.

When she was finished, Narcissa had her arm out again for Hermione to take. Deciding that it was better to not fight with Narcissa today - being that she didn't fancy being on the receiving end of Bellatrix's wand, _again..._ her muscles were still sore today - she took the offered arm, to which Narcissa gave her a pleased smile.

Narcissa led her and Bellatrix to a small conservatory where some breakfast food was laid out, croissants, fruits and the like. Tentatively, Hermione filled up her plate and began nibbling on some cantaloupe, while the two sisters chatted away, mostly ignoring her. Narcissa did give her a small smile though. "Do eat up, dear. You won't be able to eat again until after the ceremony."

Gulping, Hermione was sure to eat until her belly was full.

Next, Hermione was led to a small bath area, where Bellatrix told her to strip down and get into the bath water. "I don't want to get naked in front of you!"

At hearing Hermione's protests, Bellatrix just waved her wand at the younger girl, reminding Hermione that the threat of an imperious curse was very real.

Sighing, Hermione turned away before unzipping her jeans and letting them fall to the floo. Next, she lifted the pink jumper up off her arms. Looking down at her feet, she reached behind her to unclasp her bra, letting it fall down her arms. Finally, taking a deep breath, Hermione hooked her thumbs in the sides of her knickers, pulling them to join the pile on the floor.

Then, not wanting to let Bellatrix or Narcissa appraise her naked body, Hermione slipped into the tub, trying not to hiss at the hot heat of the water. Once she was settled, Narcissa went about putting different herbs into the tub. There were some for fertility, some for comfort, some for pain. Honestly, it just confused Hermione even more.

Unable to hold her tongue, she asked. "Why are you doing this to me? I don't want to marry Rabastan. And he sure as hell doesn't want to marry a muggleborn like me."

"Don't you dare say his name so casually you filthy mudblood!" Bellatrix hissed.

"Hush, Bella. It is up to Rabastan to decide if he would like to allow his wife the familiarity." Narcissa calmed her sister. "In any case, as they _are_ about to be married, I am sure that he won't have any issues with it."

When silence settled again over the trio, Hermione finally asked again. "You didn't answer my question."

"The Dark Lord commanded it." Bellatrix hissed, before smiling at Hermione again. "He seemed to think that ickle Harry and Weasel would be easier to flush out without their brain to tell them what to do."

Hermione's heart sank. It was probably true. Oh, curses! She should have been telling Harry and Ron about the little beaded bag when she was putting it all together. Thinking of her two friends alone and hopeless, had tears welling up in her eyes again.

Narcissa seemed to notice, so she handed Hermione some shampoo and conditioner to wash her hair. Hermione scowled, but took the offering. She wondered if Narcissa was just allergic to feeling. She went about her washing in relative silence, trying her best to ignore the two sisters, who would oddly enough soon become her _family_.

When she couldn't hide in the bath any longer, Narcissa handed her a big fluffy towel, the same kind from the bedroom she'd stayed in. Then, the older woman led her into the next room, a whole room for dressing.

Narcissa smiled, before opening a wardrobe, where all kinds of wedding accoutrements were held. "I hope you don't mind, but I had the liberty of getting your measurements taken. It's all been made fit to order." Then Hermione realized that Narcissa was trying to hand her some little white lace knickers, and hanging in the wardrobe was stockings and a garter belt and a strapless bra. Hermione didn't even want to think of _how_ or _when_ Narcissa had gotten her measurements.

"I'm not wearing that!" She insisted, taking a step back from Narcissa, who had her arm still out in offering.

"Oh, so you won't be wearing anything under your dress than?" Bellatrix quipped. "I will be certain to tell Rabastan. I am sure he'll barely be able to contain his...excitement at the prospect."

Hermione shuddered at the older woman's words. "Just give me back what I was wearing before I took the bath." She said, trying to remain calm.

"Can't, I'm afraid." Narcissa said, not looking sorry at all. "The house elves have been instructed to destroy it."

Hermione took a deep breath, trying to keep her anger under control. Did she want to go commando at her forced death eater wedding? Probably not, she decided, and took the offered garments from Narcissa's fingertips.

She stepped into the underwear, awkwardly pulling them up her legs, while trying to keep the towel on as well. When the knickers were in place, she sighed, again annoyed with the Malfoys for only having the _best_ everything. The knickers felt like heaven.

She had to remove the towel to put on the matching strapless bra, which left her standing, feeling completely exposed to the two women. She felt skinny and shapeless, and, Merlin was she embarrassed. Still, Narcissa didn't say anything, just sniffing and handing her the stockings and garter belts.

Hermione felt her cheeks heat up, feeling like this had more to do with enticing her future husband than for any practical reason. Still, seeing the gleaming look in Bellatrix's eyes, she put them on anyway, pulling the stockings up over her shapely calves.

Once that was finished, Narcissa handed Hermione a white dress. "I had it modeled after the dress that I wore."

Hermione frowned. She really didn't want anything to do with something Narcissa had worn, but she supposed that she should be a little bit thankful that they were making an effort with her, after all. They didn't have to do any of this for someone they had so little regard for. Really, it brought up more questions than answers.

Still, she stepped into the off white lace, and pulled it up over her body, slipping her arms through the off the shoulder sleeves. Narcissa stood behind her, using her wand to pin up all of the little buttons.

When she looked at herself in the mirror, she felt all her breath leave her body. The dress was made for her, and it fit her like a glove. She looked so much more womanly than she'd ever felt before. It made a small part of her soften. That was until she saw Narcissa's fond smile over her shoulder.

Once she was dressed, Narcissa lead Hermione to a vanity, and soon a little house elf was using its magic to transform her bushy hair into soft, voluminous waves. Narcissa was using her glamour charms to add a little makeup to Hermione's face, but making sure she looked soft and beautiful.

The transformation was remarkable. "Well, you _almost_ look like a witch now." Bellatrix told her with a sneer. The moment was utterly shattered for Hermione then.

A knock on the door startled all three witches. Bellatrix walked calmly to the door, and when she opened it, her husband Rodolphus entered. Rodolphus was a hulking brute of a man, unlike his more slight brother. He had a crazed look in his dark eyes that matched Bellatrix. Really, the only similarity she could see in the two brothers was their dark auburn hair color. "It's time." He told the trio with a mocking leer.

Suddenly, Hermione felt her knees lock together. "I won't do it." She vowed, unwilling to leave the room with the brute.

"Doesn't matter what you want, you will get married to my brother whether you like it or not." Rodolphus told her with a smirk on his face.

Bellatrix began to giggle. "The mudblood always gives in eventually. She won't put up much of a fight."

"You can't imperious me!" Hermione cried, trying to remember the words of the book on Magical Bonding ceremonies. "If you imperious me, then the bonds won't take. And I will never speak the vows on my own."

Rodolphus took three short strides until he was in front of her, and grabbed her upper arm tightly in his huge hand. "Don't need you to make your vows on your own. Don't need your consent. And certainly don't need to imperious you. Now come along." He began to pull at her arm, trying to lead her from the room.

Hermione dug her heels in and tried to get away from Rodolphus, while her brain whirled in confusion. "Impossible. No such bond exists." She was defiant in the face of her captors.

"Enough of this." Rodolphus finally said, before picking Hermione up, swinging her over his shoulder. Hermione felt all of her breath leave her as she was held helplessly in the air. "We aren't using the traditional bonds. We are using Lestrange vows."

That seemed wholly ominous to Hermione, so she began to try to kick and punch Rodolphus as much as possible, desperate to get free from his tightly held grasp. But he had already left the room and was walking down a long hallway. "Let me go! Put me down! I don't want to do this!" She demanded, but he wouldn't budge.

Finally, Rodolphus stopped, but only to kick open a pair of double doors, leading into a banquet hall type room. Hermione quieted and looked up to see at least one hundred guests assembled, all Death Eaters she presumed, wearing dark robes. She renewed her struggle, but was still unable to get free from Rodolphus, despite a well placed kick to his gut, causing him to groan low in his throat.

He took a few steps up onto the dias, before picking up Hermione and placing her onto her own feet in front of Rabastan Lestrange. Rodolphus stood directly behind her, and forced her to give her hand to his brother.

Rabastan was looking at her with something like humor in his light green eyes. Hermione was about to say something to her betrothed about her upset at being there, but she felt that she was silenced. Annoyed, she held Rabastan's hand as tightly as possible, finally smirking when she saw him wince in pain.

Pius Thickenesse, the Death Eater's puppet Minister of Magic, presided over the ceremony. He said a few words in a stilted manner, before beginning the actual vows. Hermione listened very intently to the vows that were promised. It seemed that they were not much different bonding vows, if a little crude and focused on family.

Rabastan vowed companionship, fidelity and comfort. Hermione couldn't contain her eyes from rolling when he'd also vowed to give her his seed, so that she might bear him sons, and carry on the family name. As if, Hermione thought, with a scowl. Hermione's vows were all assured by Rabastan's words.

Finally, Thickenesse waved his wand over their joined hands, speaking a combination of French and English spells. Hermione could feel her soul coming forward, overwhelmed and bright. When she felt Rabastan's soul caressing her's with a sensuality that she'd never experienced, she gasped, and felt her knees buckle, her core pulsing with heat and desire. Rabastan's firm grip kept her upright, and soon their souls were melding together. He was leaving his imprint on her. Then with a scorching heat, a thin band of silver wrapped it's way about her left ring finger, pronouncing her tied to him for the rest of her life.

Feeling suddenly exhausted, Hermione slumped against Rabastan, and let him put his arm around her to hold her up. With a few more words from Thickenesse, the ceremony was concluded. Hermione was just glad that Rabastan hadn't tried to kiss her to make the farce of this worse.

With a gallant smile, Rabastan lead her from the ceremony hall to a large formal dining room, and placed her in her chair. Other Death Eaters quickly filled in the open seats. Hermione looked down at her empty plate, unwilling to make an effort.

Soon, food appeared in front of them, and Hermione could feel her stomach grumble. Sighing, deciding that there was no reason she shouldn't indulge, she began to pick at the roasted vegetables and mashed potato that was on her plate. She never looked up, but instead just listened to the cacophony of voices around her.

When someone addressed her, she looked up in surprise, only to come face to face with the red eyes of the Dark Lord. "You were a beautiful bride today, Hermione. I've heard of your brilliance before, but not your beauty." She felt fear slip into her stomach, but didn't respond to him. "I hope that we will be able to put that brain of yours to good use." He said with a smile, showing off sharp, pointed teeth.

Hermione tried to respond, but found that the silencing spell was still in place. Seeing that Hermione was struggling and getting exasperated by not being able to speak, Voldemort began laughing in that high-pitched reedy wheeze of his, all at her expense. Finally taking pity on her, he canceled the spell. Hermione looked him in the eye and put her bitchiest face on before responding to him. "I don't know what would give you the impression that I would ever work for _you_."

The Death Eaters at the end of the table fell into silence. Everyone knew what happened when you back talked to the Dark Lord. No one forgot what had befallen Levinius Crabbe a few decades ago. Even beside her, Rabastan had gulped loudly.

The Dark Lord stared at her with feral eyes, before finally cracking a smile. "Hm, it seems as though your child bride is up past her bedtime, Rabastan."

Narcissa nodded. "Quite right, my lord. Moffet!" When the little house elf popped in beside Narcissa, the older witch gave her instructions. "Moffet, please escort Hermione to her bedroom."

Hermione wanted to protest being sent to bed like a little child, but held her tongue, letting the elf take hold of her hand. If anything, it should be a relief to get away from the awful people she was currently surrounded by. Before she left, she heard Voldemort raising a glass in toast to Rabastan.

When they got to the room, Moffet helped Hermione remove her wedding dress, as Hermione still didn't have a wand to remove it herself. Once Hermione had stepped out of the dress, the house elf took it, and popped away, leaving Hermione alone in the room that she had been in last night.

Looking around, she found that she wasn't left any kind of pajamas to wear. Sighing, she would at least remove the stockings and garter belt. But she would be damned before she would remove the bra and knickers. Deciding it would be best to fall asleep before Rabastan returned - if he returned that evening - she climbed under the covers, and turned off the lamp on the nightstand.

But of course, Rabastan would be returning. After all, consummation of the vows was typically required in a wedding ceremony. The thought of Rabastan's lips on her throat made her insides clench in forbidden pleasure, and Hermione tried to drive away the thoughts of their souls tangling together in the earlier ritual.

Unable to sleep, her eyes slowly adjusted to the dark of the room. It was an hour or two later when Rabastan finally stumbled in, clearly having had a bit to drink. He began to awkwardly strip out of her clothing, revealing his body to her. He was built like a boxer, each individual muscle finely and exquisitely wrought, without being overly large.

Before long, he wandered over to his side of the bed, and slipped in beside Hermione, apparently unaware that she was awake. Hermione laid as still as possible so as not to arouse suspicion. Soon though, a rhythmic motion began under the sheets, and Hermione was embarrassed to realize that he was _wanking_ right next to her.

Unable to hold her tongue, she asked, "What the fuck are you doing?" Her body was stiff as a board under the sheets.

Rabastan's voice was huskier and a bit of an accent was slipping through his words. "Having a wank. Don't tell me the ritual didn't affect you too." He accused.

Hermione refused to acknowledge his point as she _could_ feel the wetness that had gathered between her nether lips. "Don't you have to consummate the marriage?" Hermione asked snidely.

Rabastan laughed quietly in the night. "Are you offering?" He was quiet while he waited for an answer, but when he didn't get one he continued. "Lestrange vows don't require consummation."

"Why?" Hermione asked, more for academic purposes than for her own situation.

Rabastan chuckled again. "Always thinking. Listen, if you shut up and go to sleep, I will tell you all about the Lestrange vows in the morning." Not waiting for her to answer, he began masturbating again, small groans coming to his mouth.

Hermione squeezed her eyes shut tight and tried to push the imaginations of what his cock might look like from her head. She wrapped her arms around the pillow so that she wouldn't be tempted to touch herself under the covers as well.

With a final groan, the movements stopped and Rabastan whispered a cleansing charm before turning to go to sleep himself. Hermione realized that his wand must be nearby. If she just waited until he went to sleep, she could get it for himself.

But, while she was listening to his steady breaths, waiting for him to fall asleep, Hermione drifted off to sleep herself.


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.

A/N: Again, I am so thankful for the positive response this story has had! Huge thank you to those of you who favorited and followed after last chapter. Big thanks to my reviewers: MaddyR, Pwrmom2 (thank you for making an exception for me! I used to only read complete stories, but have recently been branching into WIPs. It only seems fair because I expect others to do the same for me!), pianomouse, articcat621 (omg! Thank you for letting others know about my story! I got a tumblr, but haven't posted anything to it, lol. Thanks for the advice!), laumirot, ptl4eva419 (Bellatrix was already crazy on her own!), Guest (Thank you so much for the advice! Salazar/Hermione is a super intruiging pairing to me. Maybe I will have to delve in later, but right now I have stories planned through June! Rabastan is pretty decent, I think, but Voldemort won't feature too heavily in the story. He is definitely trying to get Hermione's intellect on his side), colao, twztdwildcat, SereniteRose, Sarawr Smiles, Guest (I am so glad you are happy and enjoying so far! I guess Hermione will always be Emma Watson to me, but for Rabastan, I suppose I pictured the guy in Gwen Stefani's "Cool" music video. I looked it up and he is called Daniel Gonzalez. What do you think?), Guest, McKenzie Vallir and Carvertown!

Please let me know what you thought of chapter three and be on the lookout for chapter four next week!

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Hermione woke with a start the morning after her wedding. Remembering where she was, she instantly stilled, her eyes still shut gently, to give the illusion of sleep. She could feel the sun on her face, which meant that it was at least morning. Inwardly, she cursed herself for falling asleep so easily last night. She had been planning on taking Rabastan's wand.

Slowly, she opened her eyes, and looked with her peripheral vision in her husband's direction. He was still, expect for the gentle up and down of his chest, telling her that he was still fast asleep. Quietly, so as not to wake him, so slowly sat up and looked around. Just has she expected, his wand was there on the nightstand, just waiting for her to snatch.

Not trusting herself to get up from the bed and walk all the way around the bed without making a sound, she decided to reach over him to get the long bit of wood. Taking to her hands and knees, Hermione moved as slyly as a cat, reaching over Rabastan's sleeping body. With her arm outstretched, she didn't account for the length of her curly hair. She was just fingertips away.

With a squeak of surprise, Hermione was pulled against Rabastan's muscled chest. Feeling the warmth of his body had Hermione quaking in her boots. He had one hand on her arm that had nearly had the wand and the other arm was holding her tightly against him. He chuckled at the look in her eyes. "Naughty wife, you weren't planning on trying to get my wand, were you?"

Hermione blushed from the embarrassment of getting caught. Surely it had absolutely nothing to do with the fact that they were both mostly naked and pressed intimately together. She could feel his cock hardening against her thigh. "I wouldn't have to if you would just give me back my wand." She argued.

Rabastan gave her another small smile before rolling her so that she laid flat on her back, and he surrounded her from above. "I will give you your wand back when you can prove that you can be trusted with it."

Hermione let her annoyance take over. "You can't just take away a witch's wand. It's a part of me. I feel naked without it." She admitted to him.

The lascivious grin tipped her off to her entendre. "Are you sure you don't feel naked because you essentially are?" He let his fingertips trace the lace edging of her bra.

Hermione watched those long finger tips with baited breath as they danced dangerously close to the tops of her breasts. She felt her nipples harden in desire, traitorously. Remembering where she was, Hermione immediately began to struggle. "Get off of me." She hissed. "I want nothing to do with you."

A bit of hurt flashed on his face, but Hermione dismissed it out of hand. Still, Rabastan dutifully let go of her arm and rolled off of her.

Hermione laid still for a moment, before deciding to act. "Didn't you say something about explaining the Lestrange vows to me last night?" She supposed that in order to get out of this situation, she needed to learn as much as she was in it as possible.

Rabastan nodded. "Yes, but for that, we will need to go to my ancestral home." He looked at her out of the corner of his eye. "We can do that after a bit of breakfast and once you change."

Once the word breakfast was out of his mouth, Moffet appeared in the room with another house elf, each one carrying a tray with breakfast. "Mistress Narcissa thought breakfast in bed was best." Moffet said solemnly, handing Hermione her tray.

Hermione awkwardly sat up, trying to pull the sheet up with her, so as not to expose her still naked torso. This breakfast was much more substantial than the one she had yesterday, including scrambled eggs, bacon and toast, and a glass of pumpkin juice to wash it all down. Rabastan's plate was the same. Hermione frowned. Narcissa must have thought we worked up quite the appetite last night, she thought to herself.

Once Rabastan began to tuck into the food, Hermione decided that she should do the same. There was no point in not eating her food. Still, the silence that settled between the newly married couple was stifling. What did one ask your Death Eater husband over breakfast? Torture and kill any muggles lately, darling?

At least, Hermione thought, she had something other to focus on besides her nearly naked companion beside her. He was much tanner than she would have expected. But, before long, breakfast was cleared away and Rabastan stood up, strutting over to the wardrobe with nothing on but a pair of boxer briefs.

Hermione didn't bother to look away, as she was curious to watch how each individual muscle moved together in his body as he walked. To her surprise, the wardrobe was full of his clothes, but still none for her. She watched as he quietly dressed himself for the day, before turning to stare at her. "Are you just going to stare at me all day or are you going to get dressed as well?"

Hermione looked down at her lap. "I don't have any clothes." She said quietly. It felt like such a vulnerability to admit this to him.

"Why the hell not? What did you do with them?" He asked, perhaps not thinking about what she was doing in Malfoy Manor.

It did, however, fill Hermione with ire. "I was kidnapped from my home. I didn't exactly have time to pack." She sneered at him.

Realization dawned on his face, and a bit of compassion, she thought as well. "Why don't you go take a shower. I will go find Narcissa and find something suitable for you."

Hermione looked at him in suspicion before finally nodding her head in agreement. What if this was just a ploy to rid her of her bra and knickers? He could just divest her if that was his aim, she finally conceded.

Once he'd left the room, Hermione stood from the bed and made her way to the shower. Stripping from her bridal wear, she stood under the warm jet of the shower, letting all her troubles go with the water down the drain. But, she couldn't stay in denial for too long, and eventually she had to leave the warmth of the bathroom.

Someone had left a silk robe on the back of the bathroom door, which Hermione graciously slipped into before venturing out into the main room. On the bed was laid a rather practical set of nude lace bra and knickers, as well as a blue dress and white set of robes. It was much fancier than anything she would usually wear, but it was better than nothing. She set about stepping into the smooth fabric.

When she was just finishing the clasp on the robes, Rabastan reentered the room, with a bright smile on his face. "There you are. Now you look just like a proper pureblood."

Hermione felt dread settle in her stomach, but didn't acknowledge his words. She watched as he moved to stand behind her. "Here, let me help you with your hair."

Her hair was still wet from the shower. She wanted to tell him that drying charms didn't work on her hair, but decided to let it frizz instead. She wasn't going to sit back and fill the role of proper pureblood with perfect hair and perfect clothes. When he didn't start swearing as the charm was applied, Hermione frowned, grabbing a lock of her hair. It was smooth and curly, but still untamed, not a bit of frizz in sight. How he'd achieved that, she was uncertain.

He walked to stand in front of her, his light green eyes meeting hers. They stood, staring at one another, memorizing the other's face for a few moments. This was the first time she'd really _looked_ at him. He was younger looking than she expected, with thick eyebrows and captivating eyes. His nose fit his face perfectly, and was slightly upturned at the end. He had the hint of a beard on his cheeks and around his mouth. And his mouth…Hermione flushed in embarrassment. Why was she so drawn to this man?

Rabastan offered his arm, which Hermione took silently, not trusting her voice to speak at the moment. Before long, she was feeling the uncomfortable squeeze of long distance side-along apparition. When they arrived, they were standing in front of the back porch area of a beautiful white house.

They were right on the coast. Not only was the sun shining on the bright blue water, but the sound of waves permeated the air, and a salty smell filled Hermione's nose. The house was smaller than she was expecting, having just come from Malfoy Manor, which had wings, and looked like it probably contained about ten bedrooms in three storeys.

Each little window was gleaming in the sun, and it was wholly picturesque, not at all what Hermione was expecting for a Death Eater household. Unable to contain her curiosity any longer, she finally asked. "Where are we exactly?"

Rabastan smiled at her, showing a glimpse of pearly white teeth. "Jersey. I thought you would have been able to place my accent."

Hermione _was_ surprised to hear that. Located between Britain and France, Jersey was an island with murky membership to the United Kingdom, and even murkier ties to Wizarding Britain. It was much more beautiful than she was expecting. "To be fair, you hardly even have an accent. So far I've only heard it when you've been drinking."

Rabastan laughed, a deep throaty rumble, and placed his hand on the small of her back in a surprisingly intimate gesture. "Shall we go inside?" Hermione tried to remove the feeling of his hand from her body from her mind before nodding in agreement.

The interior of the house was stunning. Just inside the garden was a lovely sitting area, done up in bright blues and cream. It looked like a cozy area for a small gatherings or Sunday mornings reading the paper. The dining room and kitchen were next. Both were rustic but still hinted at elegance, the way all purebloods seemed to do.

In the kitchen was a little old house elf puttering away. Hermione gathered he was called Maurice from Rabastan's short conversation with the creature, but she didn't say anything about it. Rabastan gave her an amused smirk when he noticed her pursed lips. "I have heard that you don't care for house elves."

Hermione, deciding it wasn't worth the argument, turned and left the kitchen without acknowledging him. Next Rabastan showed her the upstairs. There were many bedrooms, though one or two was being utilized as an office. The master bedroom was cozy like the living room, with a balcony overlooking the sea. Hermione sighed, seeing the sun glint off of the waves. If only this was hers under different circumstances.

Rabastan nudged her away from the window. "Come. I think you will like what is next." He lead her back down the stairs to the library.

Hermione couldn't help the gasp that left her throat. Every wall was covered in books and there was a cheerful fireplace in the corner. The chairs looked comfortable and inviting. He was right, she did like it. Suddenly suspicious, she turned to look at her husband, who was watching her with unveiled interest. "I hope you don't think that you can buy me off like this." She said disdainfully.

Rabastan had a sad smile on his face then. "I wouldn't dream of it. Just, they told me you liked to read. And I thought you might get some enjoyment from this room."

Hermione bit her lip. "What do you mean 'they' told you about me? Why are you even bothering with me at all?"

Rabastan indicated the door, and lead her across the hall to the room where the family tapestry was held. Hermione sucked in her breath to see the tapestry. It was immense up at the top, but towards the bottom the names of dwindled. "You wanted to know about the Lestrange vows?" He asked her.

Hermione nodded enthusiastically, walking over to where her face now appeared on the tapestry, "Hermione" brightly emblazoned above her picture.

"Lestranges often have arranged marriages. The vows were created so that an underage person might be married before they really understand the concept. Sometimes children as young as three were married."

Hermione spun around, horrified. "That's barbaric."

Rabastan shrugged his shoulders. It didn't really bother him because he had grown up knowing it. "That's why consummation of the vow is not required. And why I don't need you to say anything during the ceremony."

"Well, small miracle that is." Hermione mused, before turning to review the tapestry again. Next to Rabastan's picture was that of his brother, Rodolphus. Next to him was his insane wife, "Bellatrix Black" emblazoned above her picture. Hermione was confused. "How come some women don't have a surname attached to their picture?" She asked, noting that she wasn't the first, but that they were few and far between.

Rabastan cleared his throat. "Continuation of the family name is what is most important to the family. In the past, women have been married with less than pure blood, though you are the first...muggleborn."

She was a little bit touched by the fact that he held back from calling her a mudblood, but then she supposed she was his wife now, which necessitated at least a little bit of respect. Hermione stood and frowned. "So, I was chosen to produce an heir for house Lestrange. Surely your family had Bellatrix in mind for that job."

Rabastan frowned. "It's important to have a sane and stable heir. The Blacks have mingled amongst themselves too many times, and produced less than desireable attributes. Bellatrix was already crazy, but furthermore, she is barren. The vows require fidelity and they are binding...until death do us part."

Hermione took a deep breath. "So why choose me? Your child - not that I am even agreeing to having one - would be a half-blood."

Rabastan shrugged again. "The Dark Lord knew that I needed to continue my family. You were a thorn in his side, helping Harry Potter outsmart him time after time. Without you, Harry Potter is weaker. And I...I get an intelligent bride." Rabastan stepped closer to her. He took his hand and let it trace along her cheekbone, under her eye. "Though no one told me that you were quite so pretty."

Hermione felt all of her breath leave her body, before she could steady herself. " _You_ want an intelligent bride? What could you possibly want with that?"

Rabastan gave her a devastating smile. "Well, before Azkaban, I was somewhat of an intellectual." He admitted to her. "Unfortunately I was sentenced before I could take my N.E.W.T.s. I had aimed on completing an Arthimancy mastery."

Hermione looked annoyed when he said that. "Well, maybe you shouldn't have tortured Alice and Frank Longbottom then." She suddenly wanted as much space between her and Rabastan as possible, remembering that he had _tortured_ people.

"I didn't torture them." Rabastan said quietly, unable to meet her eyes for the first time.

Hermione felt rage bubbling up inside of her. "Of course you did. You were sent to Azkaban for it. Hell, you should _still_ be in Azkaban." She could not forget that at his core Rabastan was a Death Eater.

Rabastan shook his head. "I was there, but I didn't raise a wand to them. I was still too young to produce a Cruciatus curse."

Hermione narrowed her eyes at him. Things just weren't adding up. She was certain that she could produce the torture curse if she needed to, and she was only just eighteen. Certainly, someone who grew up in a family of dark wizards would be able to perform one well before that. "Explain."

"I had just finished my sixth year at Hogwarts. I went with Rodolphus and Bellatrix and Barty, but I didn't participate. I wasn't able to." Rabastan wanted Hermione to know the truth, but also didn't want to mislead her into thinking that he did it for some noble purpose.

Hermione frowned, even more confused. "But, that doesn't make sense. You had to have been seventeen to go to Azkaban. Otherwise, they never would have sent you."

Rabastan gave her that same sad smile again. "Oh, Hermione, that didn't matter to them at the time."

"But it's against the law!" Hermione insisted.

Rabastan worked to contain a snort in laughter at how naive his new wife was. "It didn't matter, Hermione. They were drunk with power at the supposed vanquishment of the Dark Lord. They just wanted all of us Death Eaters out of sight and out of mind. Even Barty Crouch sent his own son to Azkaban without hesitation."

Hermione fumed for a while before turning to look at the tapestry again. She looked at Rabastan's name and traced her finger over the birth date listed. Her mental calculations seemed to support his story. Hermione suddenly felt so conflicted. On the one hand, he hadn't actively participated in the torture of Neville's parents, but he was there, and he likely would have participated if he could have, which made him an awful person. But on the other hand, he was falsely imprisoned and Hermione didn't believe that they should have done that to him either.

And this was the man she was married too. "So all of this" she gestured between the pair of them "is to bring new blood into the old pureblood families? Making muggleborn girls give birth to the next generation of Death Eaters?"

Rabastan considered her for a moment, before shaking his head. "There are no other muggleborn girls, Hermione. Only you. You were the only one that this law was ever going to affect, because you are the only one close enough to Harry Potter to make a difference. And if I get an heir out of it, it is a positive."

Hermione shook her head, her mind completely confused that the whole law should be written and passed to get ahold of her. "Don't count on it Rabastan. I won't be consummating the vows with you anytime soon."

"What makes you think that I won't just take what I want?" He asked with a frown.

"You would have done it already or insisted on traditional vows where I wouldn't have had a choice." Hermione told him. Really, it was awfully considerate of him to insist on the Lestrange vows. But she wouldn't think on that now.

"True." Rabastan conceded. "Some day, you will come to me. The vows require fidelity and some day, you will be too curious to resist. I think that you haven't considered how persuasive I can be."

Hermione shivered at his words. She was already more physically attracted to Rabastan than she ever could have imagined. She made up her mind then to resist getting too close to him.


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.

A/N: Thank you so much for the support for this story. Although the rare pairing community is smaller than other pairings, you guys are really vocal and active, and it makes me excited to post a chapter every week! Huge thanks to everyone who favorited or followed after last chapter. Big thanks to my reviewers: Pwrmom2, wintersong1954, animelover5107, ptl4ever419, winxgirl1997, twztdwildcat, alexandra . arias9054, laumirot, SereniteRose, Guest, The Butterfly Dreamer, articcat621, Smithback, everlastingtrueromance, and chibi-Clar! Thank you all for your kind words. I am loving that you are all enjoying my take on Rabastan's personality.

* * *

Living in Death Eater Headquarters was much more boring than Hermione had expected. She knew that she wasn't about to get invited to any meetings or Dark Revels or whatever it was that the gossip tabloids speculated about what went on behind doors, but she expected a little more than this. It almost reminded her of Grimmauld Places. Hours just thinking about what the next steps were.

Her husband, which Hermione had come to accept Rabastan as such, would leave her in the room every morning and wouldn't return for several hours, leaving Hermione to her own devices. Sometimes he ate with her in the room, but most of the time, she ate her meals, by herself, lonely.

There had been a time when she was invited to eat with everyone else, but too many jokes were made about fucking her and she had too smart a mouth. Somehow she'd escaped punishment, but she was not brought again. Bellatrix still made snide comments of how she couldn't be expected to eat with civilized people, when she was just an uncivilized mudblood.

Rabastan had been kind to her, so far, she had to admit. He didn't hurt her and he didn't emotionally abuse her either. For the most part, he just left her to her thoughts. He sometimes asked her if there was anything that she wanted, but aside from asking for her wand - which he still refused to give her - she didn't have anything else to request.

Well, except for clothes. Seeing as she still did not have any clothes of her own, Narcissa had taken perverse delight in choosing a wardrobe for Hermione. Wasn't that so nice of her? It's not as though Hermione had her own clothes still in the little beaded bag at Grimmauld Place, that she could have worn had she not been kidnapped.

Narcissa had a particular taste in apparel that was luxurious, expensive and screamed perfection. None of it was clothing that Hermione would have chosen for herself, but she assumed that the tailored dresses, tight skirts and flowing blouses made her look every bit like the pureblood she was now supposed to pretend to be. But, Hermione didn't have any other choice for clothing, and was resigned to being Narcissa's little paper doll for the time being.

The worst of it was that the clothing felt heavenly against her skin, the palate suited her coloring to perfection and the fabrics felt heavenly against her skin. _Perfect_. Just like everything that the Malfoys did. It made Hermione shudder to think of what Harry or Ron might think if they could see her now.

Rabastan wasn't any help either. He always told her that she looked lovely that day, and he really appreciated the nightwear that Narcissa had selected for her. They were all sheer babydoll slips in various jewel tones, much too short for her preference, but then again it was better than nothing. Rabastan always took the time to leer at her when she walked back in from the bathroom.

When she would scowl at him and cross her arms over her chest, he would just smirk at her. "I said I wouldn't force myself on you, but I didn't say anything about looking." Then he would slip into the bed next to her.

Hermione often found herself woken up by his morning erection pressed firmly against her backside, arms wrapped firmly around her body, no matter how many pillows she put in between then when she went to sleep. She tried to stay as far away from him as possible, but found herself intimately pressed against him every morning. It was infuriating.

And now that she had felt it, she had a very good idea of what her husband's cock might look like. Thinking about him in that way made her press her legs together tightly. He would still wank every night before bed, not caring that she was _right_ there and awake. He wasn't embarrassed, and really, he had no reason to be, but it made her wild with a mix of emotions.

On one hand, she wanted nothing to do with sex with him because he was a Death Eater, but another forbidden part of her knew that wasn't true. She was desperately curious about sex with him because she couldn't help but be attracted to him, physically. He was a truly gorgeous physical specimen, not at all embarrassed to walk around with next to nothing on. Then, lying in bed hearing him do _that_ night after night had Hermione wet between the legs.

Although she had ample time during the day to _take care_ of herself, she refused to stoop that low, thinking of it as somewhat of a betrayal. She hated to admit it, but her resolve was slipping day after day.

With nothing to do, Hermione practiced learning wandless magic during the day. Based on the way Rabastan laughed at her when she asked for it, she figured he wouldn't be giving her her wand back anytime soon. If she wasn't going to have a wand, then she would have to settle for wandless magic.

The only issue with that was that it was very difficult to learn with a proper teacher, and her she was trying to self teach herself something that many wizards would never hope to master. Still, she had hope. She had picked up wordless incantation very quickly in Defense Against the Dark Arts, so she was sure that she would be able to get this if only she had patience.

Just today, she was certain that she'd gotten the lace doily on the little side table to inch forward towards her when she tried an _Accio_. But, the little scrap of lace was firmly in place on the table.

That was how Rabastan found his new little wife. She was nestled into the pillows on the window street, wrinkling whatever shift dress Narcissa had selected for her today. Her feet were barefoot, and it was a surprisingly more erotic sight then he would have predicted; her dainty toes and feet, slim calves were mesmerizing to him. He wanted nothing more than to pepper kisses up those calves to the inside of her firm thighs and beyond. He was a very sexual creature, he couldn't help it if his thoughts of his wife always took a decidedly naughty turn.

She had a look of fierce determination on her face as she stared at the lace doily, as though she wished to set it alight. Her wild brown curls were messily strewn over her shoulder so that they wouldn't get in the way. Her pert little nose was in the air, giving her a haughty air and her lower lip was bit in concentration. Finally, she spoke firmly, with conviction. "Accio!"

Rabastan watched in amusement as the off white lace scrap stayed firmly in place and Hermione let out a little groan of disappointment. "What are you doing?" He asked her.

Hermione finally looked at him for the first time since he entered the room, despite being _well_ aware of his presence. "Teaching myself wandless magic."

Rabastan sat at the table, and began laughing to himself. "Why would you attempt such a cumbersome task, darling?"

"I've asked you not to call me that." Hermione said resolutely. The pet name Rabastan had bestowed her with made her feel like he was trying to make their relationship seem normal, when it was anything but. It wasn't as though he actually liked her, and it wasn't as if she hadn't been forced to marry him. To pretend their relationship was anything but a farce made her distinctly uncomfortable. "I wouldn't have to attempt such a cumbersome task if you'd just give me my wand back."

Hermione came to sit down at the table across from him. He would be eating dinner with her tonight. His light green eyes were locked onto her. "You know that giving it back is an improbability at this time."

Hermione nodded. She supposed she did understand why he didn't give her back her wand. If he did, she would use it against him to escape, immediately. "Well, then I must continue to self teach." She told him with a shrug of her shoulders. Moffet brought their dinner into the room. Beef tenderloin served with a vintage red tonight. "In any case, it's at least something to pass the time. It's not as though you have left me anything to do. This room couldn't be anymore boring."

The room was beginning to feel like a prison cell to her. The same four walls everyday. The same furniture and items with no change. It was always the same.

Rabastan did feel a little bit bad for leaving her here all of the time, but it wasn't as though he could bring her with on his assignments. She was barely cooperative as his wife, he doubted she'd be cooperative out in the field. "If you would be interested, I might have something for you to do, just to pass the time." He told her, not letting a sly smile pass his face. He'd been instructed by the Dark Lord to get her to begin translating a text for him.

Hermione looked cross, seeming to already know what he was asking of her. Still, she was too curious to just leave his offer hanging in the air. She stabbed a bit of roasted potato on her fork before looking up at him. "So, what it is?"

Rabastan let his eyes wander over her expressive face for a moment before continuing. "Just a bit of ancient runes." He wanted to keep her curiosity piqued, and he knew that the longer they discussed it, the more interested she would become, the more likely she was to help him.

"Go on." Hermione said, annoyed with his subterfucation.

Knowing that he had to tell her now, he laid all his cards on the table. "The Dark Lord has an old book he needs translated from runes. He's seen your scores from school and thinks that you would be the perfect person to translate it for him."

Hermione snorted. "I thought you people were finally getting it through your heads. I will never willingly help that man. I despise your kind and I would do anything but aid your little organization in its quest for pureblood domination of the wizarding world." Her brown eyes were bright with passion by the end of her little speech.

Rabastan had to force himself to look away from her heaving breasts, so passionate was she in her delivery. He couldn't help but be entranced by his new wife at every turn. She was so unlike any other woman he'd ever known, not afraid to argue or stand up for what she believed in. It was very attractive. Rabastan shrugged his shoulders at her words before returning to his dinner. "That's fine. There could be something good in it for you though." He added.

He barely had to wait for the words to leave his mouth before she was responding. "What do you mean something in it for me? I could have my wand back?" He could hear the urgency in her voice.

"What is it with your Gryffindors? Do you always reach for the stars?" Rabastan asked with a sigh. "Your wand would be asking for too much, but if you make progress with the text, I will teach you wandless magic."

Hermione stared at her husband, thinking over his words. She was surprised to hear that he could even accomplish wandless magic, seeing as he'd been in Azkaban for several years. Plus, it seemed like a good deal. When was she ever going to have a chance to learn wandless magic again? And, perhaps it would be useful to translate Voldemort's texts for him. That way, at least she would have some idea of what he was looking for.

Hermione stared at Rabastan, who was pushing the food around on his plate. Merlin, was he ever gorgeous when he was looking contemplative like that. Hermione had decided that she liked the way his light green eyes stood out from his lightly tanned skin. At first they had seemed too piercing, but now they were captivating and beautiful. He looked up at her.

Realizing that she had been caught ogling her husband made Hermione blush. "I won't do it." She said resolutely.

Rabastan pushed the plate away from him. "Suit yourself, but the offer still stands if you change your mind."

* * *

Rabastan was already gone by the time Hermione woke up the next morning. After taking her daily shower and dressing in whatever it was that Narcissa had picked out for the day, she liked to eat breakfast at the little table where she had Rabastan had shared dinner the night before.

When she got to her seat, breakfast already waiting for her with a glass of pumpkin juice, she was surprised to see a book in the place where Rabastan would usually eat. Hermione's movements stilled when she realized that this was the book that Voldemort wanted her to translate. Seeing it just gave her further resolve not to do the task. She wouldn't even give them the satisfaction of looking it over. She ate her breakfast quickly, making sure to focus on the plate instead of the book across the table.

After breakfast she sat in her window nook and began practicing her wandless magic for the day. It took a lot of concentration, and today her mind just wasn't in it. Instead, her eyes continued to return to the dining table and to the book that sat on it's surface.

Finally, Hermione decided that just _looking_ at the book wouldn't hurt. She stood from the nook and crept silently towards the table, as though she had to do this in secret. Logically, she knew no one would mind if she reviewed the book, but in her mind it still felt like a betrayal. The book was obviously quite old from it's worn cover and tattered bindings. Picking it up, she could barely read the cover.

Hermione felt her breath leave her when she looked over the cover and first pages of the book, as she realized she recognized the book. It was _Tales of Beedle the Bard_. But not just that, it was the _very same copy_ that Dumbledore had bequeathed her in his will. The very same copy that should be in her little beaded bag, with Harry and Ron.

She let the book drop to the table, feeling as though it had burned her. Seeing this book created many more questions than it answered. How had Voldemort got his hands on this book? Did Ron and Harry leave at it Grimmauld Place? Did they leave the whole beaded bag or just the book? Had the pair of them been compromised?

Further, it made Hermione wonder about the content of the book as well. What was in this collection of children's stories that was so important that both Voldemort and Dumbledore wanted to know about? She knew that there was something in there that could help Harry, otherwise Dumbledore wouldn't have given it to her.

Understanding that, the decision was an easy one to make. She would have to translate the book. Calling for Moffet, Hermione soon that quill in hand and a collection of scrap paper, and she began to work on the first story in the book, The Wizard and the Hopping Pot. What Voldemort could possibly want with this, she had no idea, but she was going to figure it out.

* * *

Rabastan returned to the rooms much later today than usual. It had been a busy day, and he really wasn't sure what to expect to see when he came back. To see Hermione, her hair held up by a quill, hunched over the book he'd left, wasn't it. She had an ink smudge on her cheek, and her uneaten dinner sat untouched across the table.

So tales of her studious nature had not been exaggerated then. "Find something interesting?" He asked her, knowing that it was not a good idea to goad her about her assistance. It could possibly make her stop working, and the Dark Lord would be so happy to hear that she was starting.

Hermione had a noncommittal noise. "Not yet, but I will need a particular edition of Blishen's Advanced Runic Translation." She told him without looking up from the book.

Rabastan smirked at her curly mess of hair on her head. "I could bring that for you, but you will have to give me sufficient payment in return." He told her, playfully. "A kiss should suffice."

Hermione's head snapped up to stare at his face for any sign of gest. After seeing that he was serious, Hermione felt her cheeks blush bright red. Not wanting to acknowledge his words, Hermione instead tried to steer of the subject completely. "Well, I've made significant progress today. You said you'd help teach me wandless magic. Now are you a man of your word or aren't you?"

Rabastan was somewhat pleased with her cunning. He instructed her to stand up and close her eyes. "Feel your magic fill your body. Let it well up inside of you. It is always there, and you simply use your wand as a medium, a conduit for your magic, but you do not have to."

He moved to stand behind her, letting his hands wrap around her arms and his lips rest near her ear. He felt a shiver race up and down her spine. "Push your magic outwards towards your fingertips." He let his fingers caress each one of her fingers sensually. "That is your first objective."

Rabastan let go of her and stepped away from her, before moving to stand in front of her. He watched as her eyes snapped open, to stare into his. If he wasn't mistaken, he noted the subtle lean of her body towards his, as though she missed the contact. "Let me know once you are able to do that at will, and we will continue from there."


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.

A/N: Loving the response for this - it's really much more than I could have imagined! Huge thanks to those of you who favorited or followed after last chapter. Big thanks to my reviewers: **MaddyR, Guest, Pwrmom2, SereniteRose** (He isn't trying to be mean to her, but he is being put in an awkward situation as well. You will just have to wait and see what happens with Rabastan!), **animelover5017** (you won't hear from Harry or Ron for a few more chapters, but hopefully this chapter answers your questions on what's going on at Hogwarts), **bunny129834765, snapesbloodredneko, pianomouse, winxgirl1997, twztdwildcat, Guest** _(yes, there are many possibilities, but hopefully you will see hints as to how Rabastan and Hermione's relationship goes), **windyshoes** (glad that you enjoy it! Rabastan is pretty fun to write), **tbeth** (so glad you are enjoying the pairing! thanks!), **smithback, redroseblack** (so glad that you gave this story a chance! I hope that you continue to enjoy the pairing!), **and The Butterfly Dreamer**! You guys are so awesome! Thank you so much for the kind words._

 _Now, I would love to hear what you think about chapter five, and be on the lookout for chapter six next week!_

* * *

Hermione rarely ate breakfast with the other Death Eaters at Malfoy Manor, though Rabastan was known to on occasion, wanting to give Hermione her own space every now and again. Further, she knew that she irritated him, with her boredom.

It made her utterly frustrated. She wouldn't be bored if they didn't keep her locked into that bloody room all the time. Or, if she hadn't been kidnapped from her home and made to only see one or two people a day. She couldn't help it that when Rabastan finally returned home in the evening she was bubbling full of energy and asked him loads of questions, difficult questions.

She was surprised when Rabastan told her that they would be joining the others for breakfast that day. After putting on whatever doily dress that Narcissa had selected for her that day, with a scowl on her face, and letting Rabastan dry her hair, she accompanied him to the Malfoy's dining area.

Rabastan pulled out her hair for her, settling her between himself and Rodolphus. Ever since the wedding, Rodolphus had been...well not quite nice, to her, but he was certainly kinder to her than Bellatrix. Still, Hermione couldn't forget the way that he had manhandled her, carrying her down the aisle, while everyone watched. He also had a disgusting habit of commenting on the heirs she would provide their family. Hermione didn't think that was appropriate to discuss with the unwilling bride of your brother.

Hermione quietly began filling her plate with a slice of quiche lorraine, and some fruit - pineapple, cantaloupe, and the like - while ignoring those around her. Everyone else at the table would ignore her, so she never found a reason for to pay attention to the people around her.

But today, she noticed that everyone was definitely talking about her. "Can't you control your child bride, Rabastan?" Lucius smirked at her husband. It seemed that Voldemort's little name for her had stuck and she understood that it was something that they poked fun at him about time and time again.

"She is driving me mad, with all of her questions." Rabastan said, no sign of a smile on his face.

Hermione scowled at that. "Maybe if you let me out of that room every once and I while I wouldn't be so bored all day." She spat, before thinking of the absurdity of the situation. "You have a home, why don't you just let me stay there. We wouldn't ever have to see each other."

Rabastan looked like he was about to ignore her, before he addressed her, his slight accent revealed with his stress. "And leave you to your own devices? I think not." He looked again to Lucius. "See the things that I have to deal with? You were the one that suggested me to marry her, therefore, I demand that you help me locate a playmate for her."

"A playmate?" Lucius asked his blond eyebrows shooting up into his hairline.

"Stop talking about me like I am not here." Hermione demanded, but no one paid her any mind.

Rabastan didn't sigh, just stared Lucius down. "Yes, someone her own age, someone that she can discuss her life's complexities with." Hermione was a little bit surprised by his reasoning. She could be wrong, but she almost thought that he was trying to look out for her well being.

Lucius scoffed. "You can't possibly be serious."

"Now, Lucius, I am sure that we can come up with something for Hermione." Narcissa said, patting her husband on the arm. "She is, after all, our guest. I will handle it, Rabastan."

Hermione tried to resist a sneer. She hoped Narcissa didn't have plans to take her to little pureblood tea parties where she could be gossiped about with the likes of Pansy Parkinson's mother. Still, it would be nice to have someone new to talk with.

* * *

It hadn't taken very long for the Malfoys to find Hermione a suitable playmate, as Rabastan told her. It was midday, when he stopped by at lunch to tell her that he would be escorting her to the library for her first play date. "Would you stop calling me a child? Not only is it completely demeaning, but it doesn't make you look any better either."

"Sorry, you are of course, obviously a woman." He said, resisting the urge to leer at her. How could he forget that she was a woman? He constantly was waking up hard, dreams of her in his head. She wore little nightgowns that Narcissa had gotten for her, and it showed off just enough toned thigh to be enticing. Further, it had happened more than once that he'd woken up, spooning her, the curve of her arse pressed against his erection. It was getting ridiculous.

"Thank you." Hermione said, surprised that he was being civil with her. "Of course, it will be nice to talk to someone new, but I don't see the point in calling it a play date. Who knows...If it's someone I hate it might not be very pleasant at all."

Rabastan smiled at this, knowing who it was that was already waiting for her in the library. Calling the house elf to take their plates away, Rabastan stood, offering Hermione his arm, which she took, surprised that he was being such a gentleman.

When the arrived at the door to the library, Rabastan took Hermione by the shoulders. "I will be back to get you before dinner, darling. Enjoy." Hermione felt her heart rate quicken when she noticed that his eyes lingered on her lips. "Oh, and darling, the room is warded, so don't try to get away."

Hermione stepped inside the library and found that the couch in front of the huge fireplace - fire raging inside of it - was occupied by a head of blond hair that she never thought that she was going to see again. "Oh, no. It can't be you. It can't possibly be you." She said.

Draco's head snapped to look at her. "Granger. I have to say it is a surprise to see you here." He said with a smirk. "Of course, I heard about the wedding. It's not really right to call you Granger anymore, is it, Lestrange?"

Hermione pursed her lips. "Malfoy. How does it feel to know that you have been given the duty of being my so called playmate for the day?" She stepped closer to him. "Not really the kind of thing that would make you want to sign up for the Death Eaters is it?"

Draco frowned for a moment, before mumbling. "Anything to get me out of the bloody school."

Hermione was surprised to hear that, and sat down on the opposite side of the couch from her. "What do you mean? I thought that you would love having the Death Eaters in charge of the school. No more mudbloods like me, and you can walk around like you own the place, because you do."

Draco frowned. "I hate it. We aren't really learning anything. It is basically controlled chaos."

Hermione snorted. "Are you sure? You loved being on the Inquisitorial squad, when Umbridge was in charge." She remembered how proud Draco walked around the school, with that stupid badge on his chest.

"Yeah, well, it's different now." He said, irritated.

Hermione was surprised. "Different how?" She asked, nervously.

"They have basically given the Death Eaters free reign of the school, Severus tries to keep them in line, but it's nearly impossible to come up with a reason to protect the half-bloods." He told her a grim look on his face. "Most of the Death Eaters here are controlled, but the ones they have at the school, they are sick, sadistic."

"Are you sure it's okay to talk about this here?" Hermione asked, looking around wildly. She couldn't imagine that Voldemort or Lucius would take kindly to this kind of discussion. She knew Rabastan only allowed her to spout of her anger at the Dark Lord in their chambers because he thought it was cute, like a puppy who nibbled on your finger.

This got some of Draco's swagger back. "Of course Gra-Lestrange." He told her with a smirk. "I am a Malfoy after all, and the Manor is fortified with blood wards. No one can hear into this room unless I want them too. Besides, you are really the only person I can talk about this with."

Hermione was surprised to hear that, but she supposed that it was true. He probably wasn't telling Pansy Parkinson or Theo Nott that he hated having the Death Eaters in control. "Well, that's good I suppose. I am sorry that things aren't going as you expected. But honestly, what did you expect?"

"I still expected to learn something!" He snapped at her. "Instead they have us practicing curses on the first years."

"Wow, I never expected to say this, but I guess I am glad that I didn't go back." Hermione admitted. Of course, she knew that she never would have been allowed back, being a mudblood and all, but she couldn't imagine hurting on of the little eleven year olds. What could they possibly have done to deserve such a treatment.

At least here with Rabastan she was able to do a little bit of interesting work with ancient runes, and of course he was rather good with Arithmancy. It had been the topic of more than one of their conversations. She really thought that he could have gotten a mastery quite easily, if he hadn't gone to Azkaban.

"So, how did you find yourself here anyway, Granger?" Malfoy asked. "I mean, I heard about your wedding and everything."

Hermione frowned, picking at the lace of her dress. "I was sent a Ministry letter with a sticking charm on it. It was a portkey. In less than twenty four hours, your uncle was dragging me kicking and screaming down the aisle to marry Rabastan."

"And, Rabastan has been...a gentleman? He hasn't been taking any liberties with you?" Malfoy asked, the seriousness in his voice belied by the pink tint on his pale cheeks.

"Why Malfoy, it almost sounds like you care about me." Hermione told him with a grin. "Yes, Rabastan has been a gentleman, though I think he likes to make me uncomfortable by mentioning sex whenever the situation calls for it." Malfoy seemed horrified by the idea. Hermione giggled at his pointy face. "I haven't had sex with him Malfoy, don't worry."

"Good. Well, I mean it's good that he hasn't...forced himself on you. What you choose to do in your own time is, of course your own business." Malfoy said, his eyes looking pointedly away from her. He cleared his throat. "And, how is everything else? No one else causing you issues?"

"No, I rarely see anyone but Rabastan as he keeps me locked up in his room." Hermione couldn't help but smirk when he looked distinctly uncomfortable again. As he just realizing that she was a woman and that others might desire her in that way? "But, I don't appreciate the way that your mother has made into some kind of living doll. She picks out my outfit every day. She somehow got my measurements and won't tell me how." Hermione complained to him.

"Well, I know that she always wanted a daughter." Draco told her, not feeling at all sorry for her. "But my father couldn't be convinced after he got his heir. You should be thankful to be dressed in such finery."

"I just want my jeans back." Hermione whined.

Draco smirked at her. "I might be able to put in a good word for you. They are starting to make a bit of a splash in the fashion world. Anything else that I can do to make your stay more enjoyable, while you are a guest in my ancestral home?" He asked, his silvery gray eyes looking over her face.

"Well..." Hermione started, biting her lip. Suddenly, she didn't feel quite so confident, but she promised herself that she wasn't going to cry in front of _Malfoy_. "I didn't get to say goodbye to Harry or Ron, you know, as I was kidnapped and didn't have time to prepare to leave. I just wish that...I had some way to let them know that I am okay."

Draco nodded. "Well, I won't be contacting Scarhead and Weaselbee, but I think I can get the word out." He told her. It was the least he could do for the poor muggleborn girl. Honestly, he didn't really like Hermione Granger that much, but she didn't deserve being forced to marry Rabastan, even though he was okay as far as Death Eaters went.

By the time that Rabastan returned, Hermione and Draco were laughing about Harry's terrible dancing at the Yule Ball all those years ago. They weren't friends, per say, but it was almost as if they were friends of convenience. Rabastan was surprised to see Hermione looking so happy for a change, and was glad to see that her play date had the desired effect. He _did_ want to keep his wife happy after all.

When he walked her back to their rooms for a quiet dinner together, he looked at the serene look on her face. "Should I be worried about how well you are getting along with Draco?" He asked her. He knew of their previous animosity.

Hermione smiled at him. "I wouldn't worry, Malfoy just promised to talk to Narcissa about my wardrobe. He understands that I feel a bit like a dress up doll to her. He said, he might even be able to talk her into getting me some jeans."

"Jeans?" Rabastan asked, unfamiliar with the concept.

"You know, denim pants?" She asked. Seeing the blank stare on Rabastan's face, she figured that he had no idea what she was talking about. "Don't worry about it. Hopefully, I can just show them to you in the near future."

Rabastan nodded, and decided that he would ask Narcissa to bring Draco back for another weekend soon. She was especially animated in their discussion over dinner, but he found that he didn't mind it one bit, quite taken by the sparkle in her eyes.

* * *

When Draco made it back to Hogwarts, he made a point of it to go and find Neville Longbottom. He walked into the lanky boy, who had annoyingly gone through what seemed like another growth spurt over the summer. "Watch where you are going Longbottom." He hissed.

"You have to be kidding me Malfoy." Neville spat back, no longer the timid boy he'd once been. "You ran into me."

"Well Longbottom, you should have learned by now how to get out of the way of your superiors." Malfoy said, a mean little smile on his face. "Speaking of, you will never guess who has completely bent to the will of her superiors. Mudblood Granger."

"What are you talking about Malfoy?" Longbottom asked, clearly confused.

"I just saw her this weekend. She is settling in ever so nicely, being married to Rabastan Lestrange, my uncle's brother. He keeps her locked up in his bedroom nearly all the time." Malfoy said, hoping the insinuation was enough to keep the other Slytherins are off his scent. By the chuckles around him, he would suppose that it worked.

"If even one hair on her head it harmed, Malfoy, so help me Merlin." Longbottom started. "When this is over I will hold you personally responsible."

"Relax, Longbottom. She is in the finest clothes and eating the best food, and she can read whatever books she wants to." Malfoy said, a sneer on his face. "Far better than the likes of a mudblood like her deserves if you ask me." Malfoy thought that Hermione was being treated much better than he expected. And he had even found her a book on artifacts of the founders for her to read in his library, though she didn't say why she chose the subject.

Just then, Longbottom couldn't hold back his rage any more and tried to swing at Malfoy, only to be held back by Seamus. "Come on, Nev, he's just trying to get you riled up. It's not worth it." Neville took a deep breath before turning and leaving smirking Malfoy with his sick, Slytherin friends.

As he was walking down the hall, he heard Nott ask Malfoy. "Does Rabastan really get to fuck Granger? I am sure that she's enjoying a practical demonstration for a change. You know that the only action she got before was from books."

Neville was so upset that he fumed all the way back to the Room of Requirement, which was just in its infant stages of being a hide out. It wasn't until much later that Neville realized something was rather odd about his conversation with Malfoy.

Was it just him, or had Malfoy been telling him that Hermione was safe and well cared for? Of course, he said it in his own crude way, but Neville supposed that he would have to in order to not seem out of character. Also, Neville probably wouldn't have believed him if he was told in any other way.

It was just that, nobody knew what had happened to Hermione, but members of the D.A. and the Order knew that she was missing, after having been told so by Harry and Ron. They said that she'd been portkeyed against her will and then no one had seen hide or tail of her since then.

Deciding that he had to let the Order know, at least, he sat down to pen Remus a quick note. Letting a small smile form on his face, Neville felt some of his tension leave his body. Sure, Malfoy was a little shit, but that was a kind thing to do, none the less. He didn't have to let Hermione's friends know that she was safe, but he had anyway.


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.

A/N: Big thank you to everyone who favorited or followed after last chapter! Huge thanks to my reviewers: Pwrmom2, ndavis77, SereniteRose, animelover5017, winxgirl1997, Smithback, tbeth, Guest, emmanon, chibi-Clar, lexicon63738, articcat621, Lee kadavir, DarylDixon'sLover and RelentlesslyRed! Your kind words really mean a lot to me!

So pleased that everyone loved the Draco interaction and that Rabastan is looking out for Hermione, albeit in his own Slytherin way. Lots of action in this chapter - please let me know what you think and be on the lookout for chapter seven next week!

* * *

Rabastan was always interested in the runes translation that his wife was working on. The Dark Lord did not tell him why he had asked Hermione to translate that particular book - a children's novel no less - and Hermione never specified what it was about that specific text that made her work on it. Of course, he never asked her, either, but it was something that he wondered about.

She was able to translate the work at a surprising rate, her neat little notes in rows on spare parchment, and alternative translations available for certain parts of the text. From what he could tell, she was able to translate most of it just from memory, which was quite remarkable.

At dinner, they rarely discussed the content of what she was translating, but he did ask her in generalities, how things were going and she would always answer that the translation was easy going, but then it would put her in a mood. She hated the idea that she was helping Voldemort in any capacity. But, whatever her reasons for translating the text were strong enough that they outweighed whatever good it would do the Dark Lord, in her mind at least.

That was why, he was surprised, when at dinner one night, she brought up the Tales of Beedle the Bard on her own. "Rabastan, I still need a copy of Blishen's Advanced Runic Translation, the fourth edition." She said, barely looking up from her food.

Rabastan felt a smirk settle onto her face, knowing that he was being given a beautiful chance to tease his little wife. He loved to tease her. She would first blush, and then, she would become angry, her passion transforming her face, her hair would become wild. It was rather arousing. "Of course, darling, I can get that for you, but as you know, there is a price. I will require a kiss."

Hermione stilled and immediately looked up at him. "Are you joking? What makes you think that I would make a trade like that?"

"Well, because I think your curiosity will get the better of you." His green eyes were bright with mischief. "There is something in that book that you need to figure out and you won't rest until you do. And," he let his tongue wet his lip, "I think you are _very_ curious about what it would be like to kiss me, wife."

"And just what on earth are you going to tell Voldemort when I have to tell him I was unable to complete the translation because my husband was unwilling to give me all the resources that I need?" Hermione asked, with that waspish look on her face.

Rabastan laughed. "Hm, if I tell him it's because you don't put out, then he might think me a bit touched. Most Death Eaters don't think twice about taking whatever it is that they want from their wives. But if I tell him that it was a rare text and I had trouble locating it, I think he would understand."

"Really? The man...if you can still call him that...is insane." Hermione pushed him. Didn't he see that Voldemort was incredibly fragile, and he had huge emotional swings? She sometimes didn't understand why Rabastan had devoted his life to the man.

"Watch yourself, Hermione." Rabastan warned, feeling his jaw clench in annoyance. He knew, of course, that Hermione was on the opposite side of the war, and incredibly outspoken about it, but sometimes she took things too far. He had grown fond of coming home to her every night, and he would hate for something to happen to her, should the Dark Lord catch wind of her words. Other Death Eaters had been killed for less.

"No, I won't hold this back, Rabastan." Hermione said fiercely. "Can't you see that he has changed since before the last war? Or was he always this temperamental? Is there even a hint of the man you sold your soul to when you took that mark on your arm?"

He looked down at his left arm. "Of course he's changed. We all have changed over the years. That's part of growing up. I am not the same person I was before I went into Azkaban."

Hermione did soften a little bit at that. She remembered how broken Sirius seemed after he escaped from Azkaban. He was there for about the same amount of time as Rabastan, but Rabastan had gone in when he was much younger than Sirius was, much less equipped to deal with it. She wanted to offer him some comfort, but then pulled back, thinking that it wasn't her place. "Of course people change, and they grow up, but, surely you must see that he is barely human anymore? Don't you wonder why?"

Rabastan stared into her eyes. "Of course he doesn't _look_ the same, but that is just the result of the ritual that brought him back. It's unfortunate, but the Dark Lord was never obsessed with his looks."

"That's not it." Hermione said, looking at him sadly. Merlin, this was awful, telling him this, but she knew that Rabastan had to find out somehow. "It's because he's made horcruxes. Seven of them." She whispered, not wanting to disturb the energy of the room. "Two of them have already been destroyed. That's two parts of his soul he no longer has."

"Horcruxes?" Rabastan asked, himself a little bit surprised. The ceremony to create one was said to be horrific and nearly impossible to complete, so to have done it seven times seemed unimaginable. Still the Dark Lord was very persistent.

"Yes, he is obsessed with living forever. And I think his little _pureblood_ agenda is just a side project." Hermione sneered, standing from the table. She had to get away from this man, who was as much a part of the pureblood agenda as any of the other Death Eaters.

"The pureblood agenda, as you call it, is what's necessary to make the magical world as powerful as possible. Letting muggles in...it wastes resources and brings in possible exposure. The muggles are weaker than us." He said with a sneer.

"Did you forget that _I_ am one of the those muggles?" Hermione asked. "That I have lived here for seven years without exposing our world to the rest of the muggles. And don't give me any tosh about muggleborns being weaker. I could take down Crabbe and Goyle without a second thought even though they are pureblood and I am not." She turned on him.

"But, you are an exception, Hermione." Rabastan stepped closer to her, tucking a stray curl behind her ear. "You are exceptional. And you are my wife."

"Oh yes, how could I forget, that even the most sacred Lestrange family has turned to those with lesser blood purity to make babies." Hermione hissed, pushing his hand away from her face. "Just remove their dirty names from the family tapestry and erase that they were anything less than pure."

Rabastan looked at her dumbly for a moment. "It's not like that." He tried to tell her, although, now that he thought about it, she was speaking a bit of truth.

"Oh, if anything it should mean that us non-purebloods are a little bit better, a bit more powerful than the purebloods, who can't even produce an heir. It's the only thing pureblooded women are good for." Hermione hissed, annoyed with the position that she'd been put into.

"Not every pureblooded woman is barren, just Bellatrix. We just drew the short straw when my brother was betrothed to her." Rabastan argued, annoyed with his wife.

"Hardly, it's genetics, simple genetics." Hermione told him, with a smirk on her face. "Muggle genetics. Small communities have less genetic variation, meaning that unwanted traits are more likely to be passed on. Soon, your little pureblood agenda is going to need more people like me, or you risk dying out. Think about it...how many only children are there in my generation? Even the most ancient and noble house of Black has died out."

"Genetics?" Rabastan said, confused. "What good are muggle genetics to wizards?" He had never heard of genetics before, but Hermione was making a lot of sense with the number of only children. The Malfoys, Nott, Parkinson all had one child only. He thought that maybe the Greengrasses had two daughters, who would surely be less trouble than Hermione. Maybe he should have petitioned for one of them instead.

"Yes, why don't you find a book on genetics, and then learn something about it. It's only the fate of your world view on the line." Hermione hissed again. "In fact, you wanted to be an Arithmancy master, and you consider yourself smart in the subject, why don't you go ahead and run the long term calculations on what happens when you rid muggleborns from this world. Or, for that matter, probability of success when you split your soul seven ways."

Merlin, Rabastan didn't know that arguing with her, debating with her, would be so arousing. Her hair seemed to fairly crackle with energy, magic perhaps. Her face was flushed and her mouth parted, allowing her to steady her breath. And her brown eyes seemed to nearly sear his soul with lust. He had to have her. He needed to show her who was in charge of this conversation.

Taking one step closer to her, pulling her smaller body against his. She gasped in surprise at feeling his hard cock pressed against her belly, and looked up at him, confused. Rabastan grinned at her, before dipping his face to hers, pressing his lips against hers in a searing kiss.

She didn't pull back from him, but rather, pressed her lips more firmly against his own, moving against him, caressing, though her arms stayed firmly at her sides. Catching her lower lip between his teeth, he soothed her lip with his tongue before entering her mouth, tentatively touching her tongue against his own.

Although hesitant at first, she was soon eagerly returning the kiss, letting her body mold against him, like silk. Her hand eventually came up to touch the scruffiness of his beard, surprised to enjoy the feeling beneath her fingertips. When she gave a little moan, unintended, she seemed to come back to her senses, and ripped her mouth from his breathing heavily.

Rabastan let go of her, and took a step back, seeing the confusion in her eyes as she brought a hand up to run her fingers over her lips. Surprised by how far he let it get - he promised himself at the beginning of the marriage that he wouldn't push her sexually into something that she didn't want - he turned and left the room without a second thought.

Hermione, now left alone, was able to think about everything that had just happened. She couldn't believe that she had just kissed Rabastan Lestrange, but more, she couldn't believe how much she'd enjoyed it. He felt so strong, holding her to his body, and her core was tingling in unshed desire. She wanted more.

Biting her lip, she threw herself onto the bed, and let her fingers trail up under her dress and into her knickers. She gasped at feeling how wet she was, but she didn't hesitate in delving into her heat, her thumb circling her clit, desperate for any kind of friction.

She closed her eyes, but Rabastan's green eyes still haunted her, and that smirking grin that he would give her was there as well. Biting her lip, she tried to hold back the little noises of pleasure that wanted to escape as she pushed herself closer and closer to orgasm. Finally, with a little sigh, she pushed herself over the edge.

Keeping her eyes closed, she couldn't believe that she had just done that, but she felt like she was floating after so much of that tension was released. She drifted into a comfortable sleep.

* * *

Rabastan didn't return to their rooms the night that he kissed her. He didn't come back all the next day, or the day after that. Hermione wasn't sure what to think. She thought that he was likely avoiding her, but she also knew that it was possible that he could be out, doing some nefarious task for the Dark Lord.

Still, it gave her time to work on something other than translating Beedle the Bard. And she wasn't sure that she was ready to face him yet either. He had certainly stirred up some feelings in her, and she didn't want to examine it yet. Rabastan had been very kind to her so far, and he was so unlike what she was expecting, but he also wanted to get rid of muggleborns in the wizarding world.

The fact that he was a fantastic kisser didn't make matters any easier to sift through.

Hermione knew that she wasn't with Harry and Ron, but she was still going to do everything that she could to get information to her friends. She couldn't help them find or destroy horcruxes, but she could help them figure out what the remaining horcruxes were.

She knew that the one Harry and Ron were currently in possession of was Slytherin's locket. Further, she knew that Voldemort would choose things, items that would lend legitimacy to his stature in the wizarding world. Logically, she thought, if he used one of the Founder's artifacts, he would use the other ones as well.

When Draco was there last, and they had formed their tentative friendship together, she had requested a book on the Founders. He was able to quickly choose one from the library in his home. He didn't ask what it was for, and it was all the better for Hermione. Although Draco seemed unhappy at Hogwarts, she didn't know just how far he was willing to go. Did he still fundamentally agree with the Death Eaters? She would try to figure that out next time.

The book itself was incredibly dry, and lacked many pictures. She had greatly enjoyed reading about Godric Gryffindor, but she didn't think that Voldemort was likely to choose anything that had to do with Gryffindor. She wondered if the boys had found the sword of Gryffindor yet. She read that it was goblin made, and thus had likely been impregnated with basilisk venom when Harry killed the basilisk in the Chamber of Secrets, so it was likely one of the only things that could be used to kill a horcrux. She just wished that there was some way to get this information to the boys.

Reading up on Salazar Slytherin yielded no further artifacts that Hermione thought would be used, but she did read up on the locket anyway. It seemed that it was passed down from generation to generation, much like the ring that had also been destroyed by Dumbledore, according to Harry. She thought that the illustration of the locket was beautiful, but was horrified to read about how two brothers in Slytherin's line had killed one another over possession of it.

She also read up on Rowena Ravenclaw, and this was when she actually found something new and worthwhile. It seemed that she had created a Diadem, and that it had been lost for centuries. Hermione didn't know if it would ever be found, but it certainly sounded like something that Tom Riddle would be interested in - exclusive, mysterious and most importantly, lost.

Hermione turned the page of the book, and was surprised to see a beautiful illustration of the Diadem. It was beautiful, Hermione thought, and with silver and sapphires covering it. She didn't know what to do with this hunch that she had. For one, it had been missing for centuries and further, it wasn't as though she could look for it being trapped in the room.

She bit her lip and thought about Draco. Perhaps he would look for it around the school? She wouldn't have to tell him what it was, but would it make him suspicious of her intent? She would have to see what he was acting like the next time she came to visit.

Marking the page in the book, Hermione set it aside so that she could begin practicing her wandless magic again. Rabastan was a pretty adept teacher, she could admit that. It had taken her a long time to locate her magic and push it to her fingertips. She was so used to using her wand as a conduit, it was difficult to call forward without her wand in her hand.

But soon, after much practice, she was able to do that. Next, Rabastan had shown her the subtle way that you should move your hand to perform the spell. You didn't need to move your fingers nearly as much as you did your wand, and there weren't really distinct movements. The intent of your spell, in your mind and in your words was much more important.

Just this week, she had successfully summoned something that was a few inches away from her body, but she now needed to increase the strength of the spell, moving things further and further away. Today, she was trying to get a piece of paper to summon across the breakfast table to her.

The paper fluttered at first, before slowly - achingly slowly - it inched across the table and into her hand. Hermione felt a wave of success fill her body, as she tried it again and again, and it moved faster and faster, until it responded the way that it would should she had a wand.

Hermione smiled, before locating a small candle holder from her bedside table, and set it down on the table. It was time to work up to something a little bit heavier.


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.

A/N: Huge thank you to everyone who favorited/followed after last chapter - over 100 faves and 250 follows! Big shoutout to my reviewers: **DarylDixon'sLover, Emma3mikan, The Butterfly Dreamer, Pwrmom2, animelover5107, Carvertown, arcticcat621, RelentlesslyRed, LoonyLestrangeB, winxgirl1997, Guest, amee28, Guest** (he is definitely going to do some investigation! I hope I didn't mess up with the genetics, as I am not a biologist, but I tried to use what I remembered from school. Love the oldblood term!), **lexicon63738** (I am glad you are enjoying it so much! There will defintely be more Narcissa and Draco. As for the horcruxes, I think that Hermione thinks that this is the only way she can help while she is separated and Rabastan doesn't go running off immediately because he trusts/likes Hermione just enough to want her around still, so he is going to do some research before doing anything about the horcrux intel.), **SereniteRose and PinKrystal!** You guys seriously rock!

I got myself a tumblr, but I am a bit of a novice with it. Planning on using it to just get more attention for this rare pair, and perhaps post teasers, info on what I am working on, etc. You can follow me at nauticalparamour. I have an exciting new story coming out, starting next Monday, it's a Marcus/Hermione and I will be posting one chapter a day Feb 1-Feb 14. I hope you will check it out :)

Please let me know what you thought of chapter seven and be on the lookout for chapter eight next week!

* * *

The next time that Draco came to visit Hermione, he brought another student with him. Hermione was annoyed to note that it was Millicent Bulstrode. She had never gotten along with the much larger girl, and didn't know what it was that Malfoy was doing, bringing her here. Maybe she misjudged Malfoy and he was just trying to annoy her. "Malfoy. Bulstrode." She scowled when she entered the library.

Narcissa had ordered a tea service, and when neither of the other people in the room moved to take tea, Hermione realized that she was meant to serve the other two. Honestly, she thought to herself, she hated making herself into the little hostess that Narcissa wanted her to be. "Granger." Malfoy greeted.

"Granger." Millicent said, looking uncomfortable. Still, she accepted the offered cup of tea. Hermione took the time to look over the other girl and noticed that her eyes seemed to be red from crying. "Granger...I wanted to say sorry, for um, dragging you around in fifth year when I was on the Inquisitorial Squad." Bulstrode looked like she wanted anything but to apologize, but she did it anyway. Malfoy elbowed Millicent in the arm. "And for putting you in a headlock in second year dueling club."

Hermione was surprised. She didn't even think that Millicent would remember doing those things to her. "Thank you Bulstrode. Apology accepted." Hermione told her, still surprised to be sitting across a table from this girl.

"Please call me Millie." She said quietly, no longer meeting Hermione's eyes.

Hermione was surprised that this harsh girl would have such a girly nickname, but she actually thought it suited her quite well. "Then I must insist you call me Hermione, Millie." She said, this time with a smile.

Millie looked up surprised and gave Hermione a tentative smile back.

"Well, I didn't realize that you and Malfoy were...close?" Hermione asked, surprised that Malfoy would bring her along, and not someone else, or no one at all. "And just how do you keep getting out of class Malfoy?" She looked over at the blond who was stirring his second sugar cube into his tea. Hermione smirked at that. She never would have taken Malfoy to have a sweet tooth.

"Well, when you are a godson to the Headmaster of the school, it comes with some privileges. I could leave the grounds whenever I would like to, and it was no trouble at all for Headmaster Snape to allow me to bring a friend." Malfoy told her, with a mean little smirk. "After all, his floo is directly connected to the Manor."

Hermione rolled her eyes at how entitled Malfoy was acting. It was typical behavior, so she didn't really know why she was surprised.

"Draco and I have actually been friends for many years." Millie told Hermione, knowing that Draco didn't answer her question. "How else would he get info on whatever scheme Pansy came up with to make him her boyfriend." Millie told her with a grin.

Hermione did have to grin at that. "Yes, although it is suprising that anyone would want him at all." Millie chuckled at that.

"Actually, things have not been very good at school at all...or at home." Millie told her. "Draco knows that I have been having trouble lately, and well, invited me to come here for a little break."

"What kind of trouble?" Hermione asked, surprised. Millie seemed like such a strong girl, she couldn't imagine what was going on to cause her trouble.

"Well, I am not very good with my spell work, and when I am unable to successfully cast the curses, the Carrows sometimes cast them on me instead." Millie told her, her eyes welling up with tears. "And then last week, Belvina Blishwick - she's a fourth year - she told everyone that I am a half-blood and, well, things have just gotten a lot worse."

"That's awful Millie." Hermione told her with a frown. "I had no idea." She suddenly felt quite selfish, being annoyed that she was being kept in Malfoy Manor, when she was surrounded by such luxury. Things could be so much worse for her, she suddenly understood.

"Yes, the school is a shit show. I think that we already established that, Granger." Draco said tersely. "And I will take whatever excuse I can to get out of there. Sometimes, I..." he trailed off.

Hermione sucked in a deep breath, but tried not to show that she was too eager to hear what he was going to say. Luckily, Millie asked before she had to. "Sometimes you what, Draco?"

Draco looked between the pair. "If I talk about this with you, it cannot leave this room." He told the two of them. "In fact, I will take an oath." Draco, Millie and Hermione all joined hands, and Draco spoke the oath for them, before Hermione and Millie agreed to their terms. A bit of blue light surrounded their hands, where they were connected, before slowly dissipating.

Draco returned to the couch first. "Sometimes, I wonder if us winning isn't going to destroy everything good in the wizarding world. I mean, the Death Eaters have been in charge of Hogwarts for two months and it's already gone to shit."

Hermione held her tongue for now, seeing that his words had affected Millie greatly. She had tiny little tears leaking from the corners of her eyes. Hermione stood and walked around the table to sit on the couch next to her, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. "What's wrong Millie?"

"I hate them being in charge." Millie whispered. "They think that they can just make you do whatever they want. And there is nothing that you can do about it."

Draco must have seen her confusion at the statement, so he filled her in. "Millie's father has entered her into a contract with the Goyles. A marriage contract." Draco said. "I thought maybe you might have some advice, seeing as you also had an arranged marriage.

"And what's wrong with Goyle?" Hermione asked Millicent. "I thought that you went to Hogsmeade together once last year." Hermione actually thought that Greg and Millicent together were adorable, although Ron had said some rather rude things about them when they saw them at Madame Puddifoot's last year. Honestly, Hermione thought to herself, for someone with so many freckles on his white arse, he was one to talk about others' looks.

"No, it's not Greg." Millie told her, a fresh wave of tears coming down her face. "It's his father." Millie said, completely annoyed. "I wish that it was Greg, I love Greg, but his father is so old and he's already had a son, so I don't see why they are trying to get more out of me."

Hermione was shocked. She'd had the displeasure of meeting Goyle Sr. once before over breakfast, and she felt awful for Millie. "Chin up, Millie. I am sure that, if you just let them know your feelings for Greg, something might work out."

"I've tried telling father, but, no luck." Millie told her, using a handkerchief to blow her nose in a completely unladylike fashion.

"Well, maybe I can mention it to Narcissa. She and I see each other with some frequency and has listened to me in the past." She reassured Millie, taking a moment to meet Draco's eyes for some hint that his mother might listen to her. "And, if she can't help me, I can talk to Rabastan. Surely, they know that heirs are more likely if the betrothed actually like each other."

"Alright." Millie said, nodding, feeling like she had some control over her life again. "That would be really appreciated, Hermione. I forgot that you had married Rabastan. Looks like you and I are in the same boat. Except Rabastan is quite handsome." Millie said, giving her a secret little smile.

"Yes, how _are_ things going with your husband, Granger?" Malfoy needled her, again giving her that vicious little smirk, which Hermione was coming to understand was a little tease.

Before she could help it, her cheeks were painted with a rosy blush and she looked away from the two Slytherins on the couch. "Merlin, you Gryffindors wear your hearts on your sleeves." Millie said in surprise at Hermione's embarrassment.

"Last we spoke, he was only attempting to seduce you, don't tell me he has gone and done it! It's only been two weeks." Malfoy said surprised. "Come on, spill. Give us the details."

"No! He did not _seduce_ me." Hermione insisted. "I just...well, he kissed me. That's all that happened." She didn't know why she was feeling so embarrassed about this. He was her _husband_ after all. Wasn't it more weird that this was just the first time that they had kissed? Or maybe she was just embarrassed by the bodily reaction that she had to him. She still remembered the searing heat that had lingered between her legs after he'd left.

"So...you want more, then, Granger?" Draco asked her, examining her every subtle body language. He was well adept at reading women, or so he thought.

"I don't...I don't know for sure." Hermione said, but deep down she knew that she _did_ want to kiss him again, but she didn't know why. He was still a bigot, thinking of her as some kind of little exception to his ideas that purebloods were better. So much so, that he accepted her as the future mother of his children. "It's just that...the vows that I am bound by require fidelity and are broken by death only. So if I want any kind of...sexual relationship...he is it."

Draco made a face. "Ugh, I thought that I could tease you about this, but it's just too much for me."

Millie punched Draco in the arm. "What, are you uncomfortable with the idea that Hermione is a sexual being?" Then the dark haired girl turned to look at Hermione. "I think you should go for it. Like I said, he's a good looking man and...you never know what will happen. Life is short, enjoy it while you can."

Hermione shrugged her shoulders, but Millie's words niggled around in her brain. Clearing her throat, she desperately wanted to change the subject off of her non-existent sex life. "Are we still under the oath of secrecy?" Seeing Draco's hint of a nod, Hermione continued. "Are you guys serious about wanting Hogwarts to go back to normal?"

Draco and Millie stared at each other for a few beats, having some kind of silent conversation, before both of them affirmed that they were. Subconsciously, they both leaned forward, eager to hear whatever it was Hermione was going to say.

"Well, I have been looking for something that will help. I have reason to believe that it's housed somewhere in the school, but, obviously, I can't look for it if I am locked up here." Hermione said, looking at the two of them nervously.

"How _exactly_ will it help?" Draco asked her, suspicious.

"I...I am not ready to reveal that to you at this juncture." Hermione decided. She knew that it had been a big deal for Harry to reveal to his two best friends that they were trying to destroy the horcruxes. She had already broken the boys trust by telling Rabastan about their existence, she wasn't sure that she also wanted to bring in the two additional people.

"What are you looking for, Hermione?" Millie asked, encouraging. She wasn't sure that she was going to be able to help Granger, but she could definitely kick Draco's arse into gear. She was, after all, bigger than him. It wouldn't be the first time she'd pushed him around.

Hermione shoved her hand in her pocket, and pulled out the piece of paper that she'd torn from the book. She would repair it when she got her wand back, she'd promised, but she still wasn't finished reading it, and she wanted the opportunity for Draco to take the scrap of paper back to school with him. She handed the paper to Millie first, whose face was scrunched up in confusion.

She handed the paper to Draco, who looked at it with knitted eyebrows, before finally pointing at the paper. "I have definitely seen this before somewhere. I just can't for the life of me remember _where_." He said.

"What is it?" Millie asked, entranced by the beautiful headpiece.

"It's the lost Diadem of Rowena Ravenclaw." Hermione said quietly, still afraid that someone would overhear her talking about it.

"Are you sure you don't want me to find it just because it's a pretty tiara, Granger?" Malfoy asked, signature smirk in place.

"Please, Draco, she's not Pansy." Millie retorted with a roll of her eyes. "If Hermione wants this, she must have a good reason. It's an artifact, not just a piece of jewelry."

"Alright, Granger. I will keep an eye out for it, but I can't make any promises." Malfoy told her, with extreme seriousness, understanding the gravity of the situation. "Now that I remember that I have seen it, it will annoy me until I figure out just where that was."

* * *

When Rabastan returned to their rooms for dinner that night, he noticed a remarkable improvement in her demeanor. It seemed that Draco Malfoy was good for something after all. For a brief moment, he worried if there was something more going on between his wife and the Malfoy heir, before remembering that their bond required physical fidelity.

Not to mention that he brought the Bulstrode girl along this time. "Did you enjoy your time today with Malfoy and the Bulstrode girl?" He asked her, while she raked a bit of French bread through oil and vinegar.

Hermione smiled at him. "Surprisingly yes, Millie and I got along great. Did you know that she once put me in a headlock during a duel?" She asked him with a hint of teasing in her voice.

Rabastan was surprised to hear that. He hoped that Bulstrode didn't have any ideas about hurting his wife. "When was this?"

"Second year. Gilderoy Lockhart was in charge of a dueling club." Hermione said, grimacing at the memory. "Anyway, it was nice to have another girl my age to talk to. And one who isn't quite so intent on dressing me up as a doll."

Rabastan supposed that would be nice. He hadn't thought much about Narcissa's relationship with Hermione, but now knew that there was a little bit of friction there. He smiled at her, pleased that she was able to find a bit of happiness here. It was strange, he thought, to have such an innocuous conversation with this young woman who was his wife. Clearing his throat, he shared with her a bit of good news. "I...I was able to track down the fourth edition of Blishen's Advanced Runic Translation." He let his eyes linger over her face. "That's the correct edition, right? The one you...needed?"

Hermione, hearing that he _had_ been able to track down the book, felt her eyes flicker to his lips. Unbidden, the memory of him pushing those perfect lips against hers, demanding she return the kiss, came to the forefront of her mind. "Um.." Hermione bit her lip, nerves and excitement permeating her body, "What was it, that you wanted...in exchange again? A kiss?"

Rabastan felt a stab of guilt. It was wrong of him to blackmail her into this, even though he wanted it. Since they'd kissed during their argument, he hadn't been able to stop thinking about her lips, her soft body rubbing against him. It had taken him two days just to face her again. He swallowed, feeling her dissecting every move her was making. "It's alright. I don't require anything in return."

Hermione felt...disappointment race through her body. Then, she remembered Millie's encouragement that she go for it, if it was something that she wanted. Taking every ounce of her Gryffindor courage, Hermione stood from the table and walked around to Rabastan's side.

He pushed his chair away from the table, wanting to stand up, but Hermione got there quicker, settling herself in his lap. Her eyes trained onto his lips, she leaned forward, pressing her small mouth against his in a slow kiss. When he didn't respond to her kiss, Hermione felt a bit embarrassed, and moved to pull back from her husband.

Rabastan's thoughts were racing a mile a minute, before he realized that she was _kissing_ him. Hermione, sweet Hermione, had her lips pressed against his, in a tentative, sweet kiss, of her own volition. Feeling her pull back, he surged forward, capturing her lips once again, one hand coming to wrap around her waist, the other diving into her wild curls, holding her to him, desperately.

Hermione was the first to part her lips, but he followed quickly behind, letting her tongue into his mouth to move and caress against his tongue in a sensual embrace. She brought her hand up to touch his scruffy beard, delighting in the slight scratchiness that she found there.

Quickly overwhelmed by the feeling of it all, Hermione felt herself moaning louder and louder...she wanted more than this. She wanted kisses all over her body. Her nipples hardened at the idea of his lips wrapped around the pink peaks. his fingers caressing her sides.

Sensing that this was moving faster than he wanted it to, Rabastan pulled back from the kiss. He took one moment to stare into her eyes, pupils blown so wide that you could barely see the ring of amaretto brown around it. Merlin, she was bewitching, he thought to himself, before encouraging her to stand up from his lap. He stood and gave her one last longing look before he turned around and left the room, not sparing Hermione a second glance.

He didn't return to their rooms that night, either.


	8. Chapter 8

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.

A/N: Wow - last week was a big week for me! Over 225 follows and 450 favorites! Thank you so much! And big thank you to my reviewers from last chapter - there were so many of you: winxgirl1997, SereniteRose, Pwrmom2 (she's so fun to write too! I just imagine her being really girly!), DarylDixon'sLover, Sampdoria, JuliSt (so glad that you are enjoying this! glad people are enjoying Hermione's new friendships), RelentlesslyRed, Hollowg1rl, animelover5107, Jeanie-Girl98, Guest (you'll find out in this chapter!), alexandra . arias9054, Smithback, chibi-Clar, Lee kedavir (he wants it, but only if Hermione wants it too), Tryphyna, windyshoes, tbeth, PinKrystal, Avalon Starfire, supersmallfeet, arcticcat621, Mc111, and KarukMomma! Thank you all so so much for your support.

Here is chapter eight - please let me know what you think and be on the lookout for chapter nine next week!

* * *

Try as he might, Rabastan could not get his wife out of his mind, and his brother was able to tell. Rodolphus had grinned at him the first time that he chose to remove himself from his chambers, unable to face his wife after kissing her in an argument. The second time that he left their chambers after dinner, Rodolphus was much less amused.

Rodolphus found Rabastan sitting in one of the many studies that littered the manor, drinking several fingers of Lucius's aged firewhiskey. "What has you hiding out here?" He asked his brother, a frown on his face.

Rabastan looked up at him, his light green eyes flickering up to him from the fire. "It's...nothing." Rabastan told him lamely, not wanting to get into the details, lest it make him sound like a fourteen year old boy. He supposed that he probably was acting like a young boy, getting hard at the most innocent looks from his _wife._

"Is it the mudblood?" Rodolphus asked. Noticing his brother flinch at the term, Rodolphus got his own glass of firewhiskey. "You can't let her control you, with what she has between her legs. You are in charge."

Rabastan was a little annoyed with his brother. It wasn't as though he had chosen his wife, but she was a Lestrange now and she deserved the respect of her house. She wasn't a mudblood any more. Still, he knew he couldn't expect his brother to change his ways, he'd been living them for longer, and they were more ingrained.

Sometimes, Rabastan wondered how it was that he and Rodolphus were so different. While he was lean and strong, his brother was all bunching muscle and brute strength. They were approximately the same height, though Dolph might be a little bit taller. They both had thick auburn hair, but Rabastan prefered his short, while his brother kept it in a long queue, low on his neck. And of course, their eyes; Rabastan had inherited his mother's light green eyes, so light, like the promise of spring. Rodolphus had eyes so brown that they seemed black.

They had other differences too, personality wise. Rodolphus had always been less intelligent than Rabastan and enjoyed wielding his strength and power over others. He was no slouch in a duel, but he didn't have the academic mind that Rabastan had. Also, Rabastan prefered the subtle manipulation of a situation to suit his needs, rather than forcing things to break. Rodolphus had taken the Dark Mark with full understanding and desire; Rabastan was just doing what his father told him.

"I don't think that Hermione knows how to use what's between her legs, yet." Rabastan told his brother, feeling overwhelmed.

"You still haven't fucked her yet?" Rodolphus asked, genuine surprise on his face. "I thought that you would be over that by now. She's your wife." He would never understand why his brother insisted on being nice to the chit. Maybe he couldn't handle her? Rodolphus didn't like to admit it, but she had left bruises on him when he walked her down the aisle.

"Oh, and does that work with Bellatrix?" Rabastan asked him with an amused smile.

Rodolphus scowled. "You know Bella doesn't listen to anyone but the Dark Lord." Sometimes he hated how everyone knew that he had no control over his own wife, but at least they usually had the same ideas, plans. "Just tell me what it is, Rabastan. I hate to see you moping in here."

"I have...I kissed her twice." Rabastan said after taking a large gulp of his drink. "Or rather, I kissed her once, and she's kissed me once."

"So, what's the problem in that?" Rodolphus was confused. If he had a pretty little wife, he'd be doing much more than kissing her.

"I just feel like I am spinning out of control when it happens." Rabastan rubbed his hand over his face. "I don't want to push her. I have to live with her for the rest of my life. She's it for me, and I don't want to ruin my chances of being happy with her right away."

"I don't know why you insisted on those antiquated vows." Rodolphus answered. His brother always had been a bit more sensitive than he was. Rodolphus didn't think that he should let his new wife - _Hermione_ \- boss him about, but then again, if Rodolphus had married her, he was sure that she would already be broken by then. "I think you just need to fuck her once, get it out of the way, and then you will see you have control again. You will see, once you've seen the mysteries of her flesh are not that mysterious, things won't be so confusing."

"Maybe." Rabastan told his brother, but he had his own doubts. He didn't think that he'd ever get tired of Hermione, if their two kisses were anything to judge it by. Even his mind's eye's image of her pink lips had him hardening, thinking of the possibilities of what else she could do with those lips, or those lips parted in silent passion.

"In any case, don't forget that you still need an heir." Rodolphus said, standing to let Rabastan get back to his moping. "Every time that we go out on a mission the legacy of our house in jeopardy. Until you get the girl with child that is."

Rabastan stared at the closed door with disdain. The legacy of their family never should have fallen on his shoulders to begin with. It was Rodolphus's job, as elder son, to produce an heir, a Head of House, to follow when Rodolphus died. It was Rodolphus who had insisted on Bellatrix Black; at age ten, when Bella and Dolph got married, Rabastan had been able to recognize her exotic beauty, but he could also tell she was a bit touched.

But now, the fate of his family rested on his shoulders.

* * *

Rabastan had understood what Hermione was trying to tell him about the Dark Lord's horcruxes, but he never expected to recognize some of the instability that she suggested he had. He didn't process that she was right until the Dark Lord killed Travers during one of their meetings.

The Dark Lord had always been a cruel man, delighting in torturing muggles and followers alike, but he had also always rewarded good behavior, and they were always only punished for good reason. Rabastan could still remember the feel of his first crucio, when he'd been part of an unsuccessful raid.

But Travers...Travers hadn't done anything to inspire the Dark Lord's wrath, except for that he'd laughed too loud at their meeting. Travers had been an extremely loyal follower, completing missions and getting results. Aside from the time that he'd engaged in a duel with Igor Karkaroff during a party, Rabastan couldn't think of a single time that Travers had been punished. So, for the Dark Lord to just...snap...like that was an unwelcome surprise.

He found his mind whirring over the points that Hermione had given him, about the Dark Lord being so fragile, because he'd split his soul so many times. _Seven_ times, to be precise, Rabastan thought with a disgusted shudder. It was then that he recognized that the Dark Lord that he now knew was nothing like the man who lead them before he was put in Azkaban.

Then he remembered Hermione telling him to run the Arithmancy, if he fancied himself to be an intellectual. Quickly making the decision to take her up on that offer, he apparated to his family home in Jersey. He didn't trust being able to complete the complex calculations in Malfoy Manor, where he'd likely be interrupted, and he didn't want to have to answer any questions that other Death Eaters were certain to ask.

Once he was back in his own personal study, he found a fresh piece of parchment and began to calculate the increased variables that came with your soul being split into so many parts. It took him several hours to complete, to make it as accurate as possible, but to his dismay, he found that there wasn't a single positive outcome. Further, when the soul pieces were destroyed, as Hermione had mentioned two were already killed, the subject only became more variable and destructive.

He didn't know why he would have doubted his wife, as she was said to be the brightest witch of her age, by both friends and foes. Even young Malfoy had to admit that she'd bested him in every subject at Hogwarts. He'd been so sure that she would have been lying to him, a smoke screen to shake his loyalty and perhaps get him killed.

But now he realized that she was just trying to get him to see the truth. It was comforting to know that she didn't want him killed, but it raised further issues with the current path that they were on.

He remembered then, that she also mentioned that removing mudbloods from society would be detrimental to the wizarding population, due to something called genetics, that was known to muggles. While he didn't understand what genetics were, and though he had no method of learning them, he knew his calculations wouldn't be completely accurate, but he decided to run the arithmancy any way.

Holding the rate of one of two children per pureblooded couple, Rabastan quickly understood that the pureblood population would quickly dwindle down to nothing. When he added in the variable for increased infertility that affected many of those in his generation, the results were even more disastrous. It wasn't even sustainable to the next generation, and by the next two, purebloods would cease to exist.

He thought about Hermione, waiting for him in their shared quarters, and how she'd asked him about why he'd married her, about why people on his family tapestry didn't have last names. He walked downstairs to view the old family tapestry, and looked over his branch.

It was true that the Lestranges seemed aware of this issue of bad blood for generations. He could count at least ten non-pureblooded ancestors in the centuries that preceded him. Even his great-grandmother, Arista, had been a half-blood. So why did they suddenly think it was a good idea to get rid of the mudbloods? It was true that many of them were not equipped to fit into the society and they barely contributed to their world, but then there were others, like his Hermione, brightest witch of her age. The mudbloods, at least, had their place in society.

But then, what was he to do with this new data, these new calculations? He felt in his heart that he couldn't allow the Dark Lord to succeed with his goals. He needed to talk to Hermione.

* * *

Hermione was surprised when Rabastan finally came back to their rooms, seeing as he'd been gone for three days at this point. Plus, he returned so late after dinner that she didn't think he was returning this night either.

So, she'd settled into her bed, to read a bit before falling asleep. She hadn't to admit, but she'd grown to really enjoy the luxuries that living in Malfoy Manor had given her. For one, the bed was glorious, and felt like sleeping on a cloud, big enough to sprawl out, and with warm, fluffy covers to protect from the drafty nights.

Even the silken nightie that she'd slipped into tonight was luxe. It felt cool and soft against her skin, and though she _did_ find it indecently short, she also secretly loved the way it felt her feel sexy and a bit naughty. She would never admit it to anyone, but she figured once she got out of this mess that she was currently deep in, she would buy one or two of them. Or maybe one in every color.

When Rabastan walked into the room, she didn't even bother to try hiding the book on the Founder's artifacts. He quickly shut the door placing a variety of privacy and locking charms on the door, before crossing the room in five quick strides, and sitting on the bed next to her, his legs firmly on the flood. Rabastan took the book out of her hand, and set it text side down, so that she wouldn't lose. Confused, Hermione couldn't hold back her questions; his demeanor made her nervous. "What's going on?"

Rabastan opened and closed his mouth several times, as though he was trying to figure out what to tell her. Finally, he steeled himself, looking deeply into her brown eyes. "I did the arithmancy."

That statement stilled Hermione. She didn't know her husband very well, but she knew that he _was_ intelligent, for all of his bragging about it. But, she also knew that something must have happened, because he didn't have the curious nature that she did. He was perfectly happy just putting something out of his mind. Something must have happened. "And what did you find?" She asked, hoping to tread carefully.

"You were right." Rabastan said, letting his eyes drop to the hands in his lap. He had no trouble admitting that he was wrong, but he did feel bad for not believing his wife, who had proved how loyal she was. "About...both things. I wasn't able to properly calculate for the arithmancy for the genetics...because I don't understand what that is, but I got disastrous outcomes every time I ran it."

"When did you do this?" Hermione asked, pleased that he was beginning to come around to her way of thinking. Or, she suspected, a still bigoted, but less so, point of view.

"Just today. We had a...meeting this morning and I went directly after that." Rabastan told her, again finding himself trying to read the emotion in her face.

Hermione was incredibly surprised. The level of calculation that he would have had to perform was extremely difficult and tricky. The fact that he was able to complete it in less than twenty-four hours was astonishing. She supposed maybe he _was_ actually quite gifted with arithmancy. Maybe when all of this blew over, he could get a mastery after all. "And, what do you propose that we do about this."

"Well, I would like to know a little bit more about genetics." Rabastan said. "I need to verify everything, before I...before I accept that mudbloods have a place in our society. It goes against everything I've ever known, but the arithmancy doesn't lie."

Hermione summoned a scrap of paper, wandlessly, smirking at her husband's surprised face at her accomplishment, and her self-inking quill and began explaining the basics of Mendelian inheritance, using their eye colors as example, showing what the probabilities were for their children. "Though, it's a bit more complicated than that, especially with green eyes. Green eyes are caused by a completely separate pigment." Hermione said, a bit breathless when looking into his brilliant eyes.

"I understand that." Rabastan said, thinking that it did rather make sense. He remembered the time that their kneezle had been impregnated by a stray, and the wide variety of colors the kittens were. "I will have to incorporate this into my calculations tomorrow."

Hermione placed her hand on his arm, to move his attention from the paper to her face. "What about the...other calculations that you did? The ones about Voldemort?" It was one thing for him change his mind about destroy muggleborns and it was something else completely for him to betray his master.

"He needs to be destroyed." Rabastan said, with a wince. "He will become more and more unstable as bits of his soul dies off."

"So you'll help?" Hermione asked, nervously biting her lip. She never could have imagined things going _this_ well, but she was excited. Rabastan could move about freely, with little suspicion, so he would be able to get much more done than she was locked in this room. "Will you be okay? I don't want you to get hurt. I understand Voldemort is quite talented with legilimency." She said, her face soft with worry.

Rabastan gave her a soft smile, relishing the feeling of her small hand on his arm and the concern that she already felt for him touching his heart. "You don't need to worry on that front. I taught myself occlumency in Azkaban. It was one of the only things that could help shield you from the dementors."

Hermione felt her eyebrows knit together. It was quite impressive to teach yourself occlumency, but she also understood that some people have a natural talent for it. Further, if you have nothing else to do, it was probably a means for survival. "Well, we already know where Slytherin's locket is." Hermione said, with a frown. "And I have identified the lost Diadem of Ravenclaw as a possibility, but we still need to identify the other horcruxes."

She moved over on the bed, and Rabastan settled in next to her, propped up against the pillows. Hermione picked up her book again, and opened it to where she was reading about Helga Hufflepuff. "I was thinking that he might have selected something of Hufflepuff's for another vessel."

Rabastan looked over the page and found several interesting pieces of jewelry on the page - a barrette, a necklace, a pair of yellow sapphire earrings. "That seems reasonable." He loved the feel of her body pressed against his, and he moved so that one of his arms was wrapped around her shoulders. If she minded, she didn't say anything.

Hermione grabbed the page and turned it, sighing. "It's just so hard to figure out." She said, turning the page again, as nothing was standing out as a possibility.

Rabastan pointed at a golden cup that was on the page in front of them. "I have seen that before." He said, his face in a frown. "I actually think that it is in the Lestrange vault at Gringotts."

Hermione turned in his arms, eyes bright with excitement. "Can you get in there?"

Rabastan smirked down at her. "Of course I can, I am a Lestrange, remember?" His mind was already whirring with a plan. "Let me lay some groundwork. I can get us into the vault to look around."


	9. Chapter 9

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.

A/N: I am seriously so blown away by the response to this! Thank you so much for the favorites and follows! And huge thanks to the reviewers from last chapter: DarylDixon'sLover, Pwrmom2, Lrblucky13, Avalon Starfire, animelover5107, smithback, Hollowg1rl, RelentlesslyRed, winxgirl1997, skydancer2ooo, Sampdoria, originalanonymouse, minniemousemom, Guest, chibi-Clar, marianna79, articcat621, SereniteRose, Mc111, Lee kadavir, Guest and Bitemedoll! You are all so sweet!

I am currently writing the second to the last chapter of this story. In other news, I will begin posting the sequel to Back to the Future next week - please read that if you are interested. I will be posting a sneak peak to my tumblr (nauticalparamour) later this week.

So, here is chapter nine. Please let me know what you think and be on the lookout for chapter ten next week!

* * *

Rabastan knew that he and Hermione had to get into the Lestrange vault at Gringotts. That was imperative. Especially when he remembered that Christmas party, over ten years ago, before Azkaban, when Bella preened and hinted at some great task that the Dark Lord had tasked her with, but she wouldn't share what it was. He failed to see how holding onto something for him was a sign of his esteem, and not mere acknowledgement that the Lestrange's vault was one of the first, and therefore heavily guarded. But, he supposed, some men just threw money at the Dark Lord and acted like they were his most loyal.

First, he mentioned wanting a pair of cufflinks that his father had frequently worn as an attempt to visit the family vault without suspicion. Rodolphus had grinned down at him, pleased with the new interest and devotion to his family. That was in mid-November. Within a week, though, Rodolphus gave him the cuff-links, all shining and golden. "I had the goblins clean them for you." Dolph said with a smile.

Next, he brought up a visit to Gringotts, so that he might add Hermione to his will, in early December. Rodolphus looked uncomfortable, but knew it was necessary. Bellatrix, though, sneered and frowned, and hemmed and hawed at the thought, before she could think of a reasonable excuse for Hermione's exclusion from the family. "Don't add her to the will until she's given you an heir. Or is the little bitch pregnant already?"

Rabastan looked from his brother to his sister-in-law with disdain, but little other emotion. "No, Hermione is not yet with child." He could practically feel Rodolphus's disappointment.

"Do you even still remember how to fuck a woman, Rab?" Bellatrix asked him with a mean smile. "I know that you might have forgotten with your time in Azkaban, but Rodolphus could give you some pointers."

Rabastan didn't even deign that with a response.

Opportunity came eventually, and from an unlikely source, just two weeks before Christmas. It was the Dark Lord, actually, who gave him chance to get into the Lestrange family vault. "Rabastan, you and your _wife_ will be giving an interview to the Daily Prophet." He'd told them once at one of the Malfoy's dinners, smirking at the word wife.

Rabastan always hated that the Dark Lord seemed to make digs at him for having a mudblood - no _muggleborn_ \- wife, when he'd only married her on the Dark Lord's orders. He had done the Dark Lord and favor and all he got as thanks was ribbing and snickers from the other Death Eaters. "Oh? May I ask what purpose the interview is for?"

"Yes, you may, Rabastan." The Dark Lord became serious. " _Certain_ members of the Wizengamot and elsewhere in the MLE have questions about Act 927.861 and how only one witch has been effected so far. I hope this will shut up certain factions and give the general public knowledge that Granger is well cared for. Further," The Dark Lord sneered at Lucius, "it's been brought to my attention that during Christmas time, the public will be bolstered by good news, fluff stories. It might make the general public more accepting of the new world order."

Rabastan was quiet for just a moment, before nodding his head. "An excellent idea my Lord. Of course, I will have to get her a ring, so that they see that I...accept the union." He said with a sneer. "If I am lucky, maybe a ring from my family vault will kill the mudblood with a curse, and the article can be about a grieving widower instead."

The table around him laughed, but inside his stomach was roiling. He'd known Hermione only a few months and already the thought of her dying was unpalatable to him. Still, he'd gotten the approval that he needed and his mind was already whirring with plans of getting the Cup out of his vault.

* * *

The morning that they were supposed to leave for Gringotts, Narcissa had entered their room at an ungodly hour. She woke up Hermione, not caring that Rabastan laid mostly naked, still asleep, next to her. Instead, she just ushered her into the white bathroom, where an elf was already running a bath.

Sighing, Hermione didn't even try to argue with Narcissa, knowing that it was futile. Instead, she striped herself of her clothing and stepped into the steaming hot water of the bath, the warmth making her eyes want to drift shut, back to sleep. "Any reason that you are waking me up at this hour, Narcissa?"

The blonde woman turned to look at her with a self-satisfied smile. "Why of course, Hermione." Narcissa always addressed her with civility. "You are making your first public appearance as Rabastan's wife today, when you go to the bank, and it is of the utmost importance that you look your absolute best."

Hermione rolled her eyes. "What, you thought that I wouldn't shower today?" Although, she could recognize that she didn't have the sense of style that Narcissa did, she _was_ clean.

"No, but I wanted to be sure that you got into the bath early enough that we could do your hair and makeup. Also, I've brought several outfits for you to try on, as I am not sure which will give you the look that I am trying to." Narcissa responded, watching the young woman as she dunked her head to free her hair of shampoo.

When she resurfaced, Hermione looked at Narcissa pensively. "And what look is that?"

"I want you to look womanly, no longer a school girl." Narcissa said, beginning her description of Hermione's proposed style. "I want you to look like you are in charge and you belong there, without looking severe or like a librarian. Your reputation does that enough already."

Hermione held back a laugh. Narcissa was surprising in that she did have a bit of a sense of humor. It was weird because she and Lucius seemed to have no common ground, and he had absolutely no humorous bone in his body. She and Narcissa weren't friends, but they tolerated each other.

After toweling off, and being ensconced in a silk robe, Hermione was ushered to the vanity in her bathroom, and the house elf immediately got to work on drying and styling her hair, into an elegant updo, that made her hair look shiny and smooth. Then, Narcissa began to work on her glamour charms, adding the equivalent of eyeliner, smoky eyeshadow, and mascara, some blusher, and a nude lip.

Hermione reviewed herself in the mirror. She looked smart, she thought, and rather beautiful. Narcissa was quite handy with the charms, she could begrudgingly admit. Narcissa then brought her a plain black bra and pair of knickers, which she was happy to step into.

"Narcissa, how did you and Malfoy...become betrothed?" Hermione asked, confused about how pureblood society worked.

"Well, when I was still at Hogwarts, Bellatrix got married to Rodolphus, and it was at that wedding that my father met Abraxas Malfoy. Within a week of the wedding, Lucius and I were engaged." Narcissa said, no hint of warmth or emotion in her face.

"Did you like him?" Hermione asked, sitting on the edge of the bench.

"Not particularly. He was a few years older than me, and he was a bit of a snob at Hogwarts, but he was the man my father told me to marry so I did." Narcissa said with a smile. "He gave me Draco, so my life has been fulfilling."

"And now that...now that Draco is growing up, and you don't have to devote so much of your time to him, how do you get along with Lucius?" Hermione asked, biting her lip. She hoped Millie wasn't going to be forced into a similar loveless marriage, just because her father told her to Marry Goyle, Sr.

"Now, we...exist." Narcissa said, a bit defeated, before her vapid smile slipped back in place, and she handed Hermione the first of the dresses she'd brought. It was a green velvet number, that Hermione thought looked quite nice, actually, but it seemed to be a little bit too formal. "Hmm, I think this will be better for the actual interview." Narcissa mused.

In the end, Narcissa chose a slate gray shift dress that was cinched in the middle by a silver belt and a pair of nude high heels. Hermione had to admit that the overall look definitely made her look strong, beautiful and not a hint of a school girl remained. She stared at herself in the mirror, carefully putting on some diamond earrings - Narcissa's of course - that completed the look.

Hermione's good mood was doused, though, when Narcissa, also looking at the mirror's reflection over Hermione's shoulder, whispered, " _Pure_ perfection _."_

* * *

After Narcissa finally left the room, she joined Rabastan at their little table for breakfast. She felt conflicted to see his eyes light up when she sat down, as she didn't really think that this look was a good representation of the kind of woman that she was. Still, it was nice to be thought of as beautiful.

Looking over at his plate, Hermione could tell that Rabastan was distinctly nervous. He'd barely touched his food, but looking down at her own food, Hermione wasn't that hungry either. She was a bit worried about getting caught by Voldemort, but she didn't let her thoughts dwell on that for too long. What was the worst thing that could happen? She supposed that Rabastan knew _precisely_ what the worst was.

In any case, being with Rabastan made her feel safe and confident. She didn't know why, but he'd been exceedingly kind to her this whole time, and she felt that if she kept by his side, she could get out of this safely. Then they could get on with their lives...together. Hermione hadn't given too much thought to what would happen once the war was over, seeing as their vows were binding. She decided that she would just handle that when they got there.

It wasn't that she didn't want to be with him _per say_ \- if anything, she couldn't stop thinking about slipping her fingers through his dark auburn hair and pull his face to hers so that they could have a bit of a snog - it was just that they had such different plans for the future. And, she was certain that he still was having trouble adjusting to the new way of thinking.

When their respective breakfasts were complete, and the little elf came and cleared away their plates, Rabastan cleared his throat, clearly wanting to talk about something serious. "I have something for you." He said, enjoying the moment of intense curiosity that flittered over Hermione's face. Then, pulling it from out of his pocket, he presented her with her wand.

Hermione smiled with glee and immediately snatched it up, delighting in the feel of the familiar vinewood in her hand again. "Thank you, Rabastan." She said quietly, before looking at him suspiciously. "Why are you giving me this?"

"Because, you can be trusted with it." He said softly, trying to let a bit of his feeling bleed into his eyes.

"You don't think that I would use it against you?" Hermione said, looking at him curiously, and pointing the tip of it at his nose.

Rabastan didn't even flinch, instead, looked over the wand and into her eyes. "I don't think that you will, Hermione." He said gently. "I can help you make a difference in this war, and at this point we are in it together. I trust you."

Hermione felt herself relax, hearing him say that he trusted her. Why should he trust her? There was almost no reason, but Hermione found herself trusting him too. They were in this together. And he was also right, this was her way to help out, and she couldn't do it without him. She didn't have a hope to find Harry and Ron again, when basically everyone in the wizarding world were looking for them, and they hadn't been found yet.

"I trust you, too." She told him sincerely, wondering if anything more could grow from this.

"Well, shall we head to Gringotts, then, wife?" He asked, offering his arm to her. Standing from the table, Hermione took his arm, and allowed him to lead her through Malfoy Manor, until they got to the drawing room that held the floo. Lucius was waiting for them there, sneering at Hermione, but he let them through anyway.

They made their way to the Leaky Cauldron, and Hermione was surprised to see the little pub almost entirely empty, except for two shady looking individuals in the back booth. When they walked out into Diagon Alley, it was ever more desolate. "It's so empty." She whispered to her husband.

He didn't say anything, instead, navigating through the streets. Every now and again, they would come across a random witch or wizard, but they all cowered away from Rabastan Lestrange, feared Death Eater. He walked through the streets like he owned them, Hermione thought, with a snort.

Soon, they were walking up the steps to Gringotts and past the goblins, until they got to, whoever the Lestranges' banker was. The goblin looked Hermione over, not trusting her one bit, but one hard look from Rabastan had the goblin ushering them down into where the vaults were stored.

Rabastan helped her gingerly into the trolley, before slipping in the cart to sit next to her. Hermione relished the warm feeling of his body pressed closely against hers in the chilly draft of the vaults. When they began moving on the tracks, Hermione felt herself quickly becoming queasy from the winding twists and turns, the deeper they got, the more disorienting it was. Rabastan just held her hand reassuringly.

When they got to the Thief's Downfall, Hermione found herself drenched with water, and noticed that the goblin was looking at her with great intensity, before scowling at her when she didn't fall from her seat. Rabastan waved his wand over her, siphoning all the excess water from her, leaving her dry as she was before. "Thanks." She whispered into his ear.

It didn't take much longer to get to the Lestrange vault, but it was certainly much deeper than she expected. The goblin waited at the door, after Rabastan pulled out his key and opened the vault. It was with obvious reluctance that the nosy goblin stood near the trolley, wanting to get a glimpse at what the odd pair was doing in the vault.

"Our official purpose of being here is to select an engagement ring for you for our interview tomorrow." Rabastan spoke low to her. "Why don't you pick one out from this jewelry box while I look for the cup?" He asked, her, indicating a large black box.

Hermione opened the lid and was surprised to see numerous rings, earrings, and necklaces nestled in the black velvet of the box. "Wow, there are so many in here." Hermione said with a small smile.

"It was my great grandmother Arista's." He said, quietly. Hermione was quite pleased and touched that he was willing to share a little piece of his family with him, of his own free will. She lovingly touched the soft fabric. "Be careful not to touch anything else. There are all kinds of curses and charms on the things in here, and I can't be sure what would happen if a...muggleborn, were to touch it."

Hermione nodded, and endeavored not to touch anything but the large black box. She shifted through the numerous rings and other assorted jewelry, while Rabastan began shuffling around the back of the vault. Most of the jewels on the rings were large emeralds and a few sapphires. "You Slytherins and your green." Hermione mused under her breath.

It didn't take long for her to find the ring that she wanted though. It was probably the smallest jewel in the whole box, and it was a rare diamond among the other gemstones, but it shone brightly in the light, and it seemed fitting for her. The emerald cut solitaire was on a white gold band, and when she tried it on her finger, it fit perfectly.

She looked up, hearing Rabastan swearing as he seemed to have knocked over a stack of galleons, which spilled all over the floor. "Do you need help?" She asked, over at him.

"No, I've almost got it." Rabastan said, and she watched as he levitated a small golden cup down from the very back of the vault, and place it into a small sack. She'd told him about her undetectable extension charm after he told her they were going to Gringotts and he'd replicated the charm faithfully. Now, the goblin wouldn't be able to tell that they'd taken anything but the ring. "Did you find a ring?" He asked, walking back towards her.

"Yes." Hermione answered sweetly, holding out her hand so that he might inspect it. "It even fits perfectly."

Rabastan let his fingertips trail over the skin of her palm while he looked at her selected ring. "It suits you." He told her, looking at the small diamond. "I am sure that many pureblooded wives would never pick something as simple as this, but it looks right on your hand." He wanted to kiss her lips then, seeing her preen at his words, but he settled for pressing his lips to her fingertips.

After, he wrapped an arm around her waist, and lead her back out of the vault to where the goblin was waiting for them. The goblin did look at Hermione with intense scrutiny, but his eyes finally settled on her small ring and he seemed to be satisfied. They climbed back into the trolley and took the winding tracks back out to the main hall of the bank.

When Rabastan lead Hermione back through the streets of Diagon Alley, he finally let himself relax a bit. "That was much more anticlimactic than I was expecting. I thought we might have to fight our way out, maybe on the back of one of those dragons."

"A dragon, Rabastan?" Hermione asked, slightly exasperated. "Honestly!"


	10. Chapter 10

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.

A/N: Have I told you recently how much I appreciate the support? So blown away! Thanks to everyone who favorited or followed after last chapter! Big thanks to my reviewers: DarylDixon'sLover, winxgirl1997, Sampdoria, Pwrmom2, animelover5107, Lrblucky13 (aww! I hope it lived up to expectations!), SereniteRose (I can't give anything away...haha), Carolina . H. S, Lady Atarah, chibi-Clar, Guest, surugasasa, RelentlesslyRed (Wow! I am so glad that you are enjoying it so much!), JuliSt (haha, I know - I can never decide if I should feel sorry for Narcissa or indifferent...), kamiccolo's rose, articcat621, Mc111, marianna79 (Haha, most of your questions will be answered in this chapter!), Smithback, Emma3mikan, and 12samanthafelix! Seriously - thank you so much for the support!

I finished this story last week - only six chapters left! Things are about to get quite exciting! Well, on to chapter ten - please let me know what you think! And be on the lookout for chapter eleven next week.

* * *

After dropping Hermione off at Malfoy Manor, Rabastan apparated over to his ancestral homes, and hid the bag containing the horcrux for the time being. They would return to his home over Christmas, he'd already decided, to have a bit of time alone and away from the pressures of living surrounded by Death Eaters. He remembered when he'd requested the weekend away, how Bella had smirked at him. "You spoil her, Rabastan. What good is she to the family if she doesn't produce an heir?"

Before he returned to their rooms, he stopped by his library to grab a book on fiendfyre for Hermione to read over. He'd chosen it as their prefered method of destroying the horcrux, because they didn't have any basilisk venom lying around, and he wasn't going to take the time to hatch a basilisk. They further had no idea where the sword of Gryffindor was, and he knew privately Hermione hoped that it was in the possession of Harry and Ron.

Having read several biographies of Herpo the Foul in his youth, Rabastan knew that fiendfyre was the way that Herpo's horcrux was destroyed, so he figured it would work again. Rabastan had successfully created fiendfyre before, but controlling it had never been necessary, so he certainly wanted to read all that he could on the topic, in order to keep him and Hermione safe.

When he returned, Hermione was waiting for him, looking anxious and concerned. "Why did Lucius Malfoy sound disappointed when he mentioned that I had returned alive?"

Rabastan sighed, setting the book on the table. "Because the other Death Eaters need to be under the impression that I've been...saddled with a mudblood, and I don't particularly like you, I might have said that I hoped that something in the family vault might curse you because of your blood status."

Hermione looked appalled, but then, a sad sense of understanding washed over her face. She knew that Rabastan didn't want anything to happen to her, not at _this_ time at least, as he'd directed her to a particular jewelry box. "What did you bring me?" She asked, indicating the book on the table.

"A manual for creating and controlling fiendfyre." Rabastan said, relieved that she didn't freak out at his admission. "I figured we should both read up on it before Christmas."

He watched as Hermione picked up the book and leafed through the pages. If she was in anyway disturbed by the dark arts content of the book, she didn't mention it. "We should start thinking of what the other horcruxes may be. I think there are only two additional ones." She whispered to him.

Rabastan sat down on their little loveseat with a heavy sigh. "Can you have a living horcrux?" He asked her, thinking that she would be much more knowledgeable about the topic. He barely knew anything about the objects, as it hadn't been standard reading material for a sixteen year old.

Hermione sat next to him, wanting to be close to him after the day that they shared together. "I suppose it's not out of the question. I would hate to think about what the possession would be like. Why? Do you think someone has a little bit of Voldemort in them? Bellatrix perhaps?"

Rabastan cracked a smile. "Oh, we'd all know if Bellatrix was a horcrux. She'd be over the moon with pleasure." Rabastan had never really liked his sister-in-law, and he hated how he was always lumped in with Bella and Rodolphus. "No, I was thinking about his...well, I guess you could call it a familiar. Nagini."

"That giant snake?" Hermione asked horrified, thinking of the damage that it had done to poor Mr. Weasley.

"Yes, and she is never far away from his side." Rabastan said, frowning.

"Well, let's just get this one out of the way first, and then we can worry about the next steps." Hermione told him, patting her husband on the leg in reassurance. It seemed so overwhelming to think of everything that was left to do.

* * *

Eventually, with enough time on her own, Hermione did finish translating the _Tales of Beedle the Bard_ and had to let Rabastan know that it was complete. There was one symbol written into the margins that she still couldn't figure out, no matter what runes text she consultated. It looked like a triangle with a circle inside of it, and a straight line through the point of the triangle down to the opposite side.

It was then that Rabastan told her that the Dark Lord wanted to discuss her translation with her that she began to feel fear about the precarious situation she was in. She hadn't been face to face with the monster in months, and she didn't particularly want him rooting about in her mind, but Rabastan told her it was non-negotiable.

That was how she found herself being brought to one of the Malfoy's many studies and left there by herself, until the Dark Lord waltzed in, smirking at her. "If I recall, Hermione, you've said many times that you would never help me, but I understand that you have completed a little translation project for me." He sat at the desk, across from her.

Hermione met his red eyes, refusing to bow to her fear, and simply gave a quick, jerky nod to agree with him, but she didn't speak.

"I take it, though, that it had a bit more to do with the _specific_ text that I gave you, instead of the actual act of helping me." He said, steepling his hands together, leaning his hands against his lipless mouth.

Hermione couldn't help but contain the sneer. "Yes, however did you find _my_ copy of _Beedle the Bard_?" She asked him, truly brimming with curiosity.

Her eyes swept over his white face at seeing him give her a mean little smile. "Severus was only so eager to show us to your little headquarters...number 12 Grimmauld Place." Hermione felt her heart beat speed to a rapid tattoo, thinking of Harry and Ron. Were they safe? "Unfortunately, your little friends had already cleared out, but I did find something of interest." She watched as he held up her little beaded bag. "Really remarkable undetectable extension charm, Hermione."

Feeling some relief at hearing that Ron and Harry had gotten away, she let her annoyance bubble up from the backhanded compliment he'd given her. "For a mudblood you mean?"

"Yes, exactly." He said, eyes narrowed at her. "Now tell me, what is it that you and your little...friends were planning on doing this year, not going back to Hogwarts?"

Hermione tried to keep her breathing steady. "Well, I was obviously not invited back to Hogwarts. And Harry and Ron might have gone back to Hogwarts, if your Death Eaters weren't after them."

Voldemort sighed, before looking at her, disappointed. "If you don't tell me, then I suppose I will just have to look at see for myself." Keeping eye contact, Hermione felt his presence in her mind immediately.

Knowing that her self preservation was imperative, Hermione decided not to put up a fight and let him see memories that were unlikely to surprise him. She focused on the one of Harry telling her and Ron about the horcruxes and their plan to destroy them. She let him see that they had the locket, and even that they knew that it was Regulus who had betrayed him; Hermione felt Voldemort bristle at that. Then, she let him see that they knew that basilisk venom would kill the horcruxes.

When he sifted through her memories of her time at Malfoy Manor, she was sure to focus on the translation of the book, and clouding the memories with her annoyance and intense curiosity of what Dumbledore wanted them to know what was in the book, that it was also important to Voldemort.

Voldemort pulled himself from her mind and looked at her with an infuriating little smirk. "Naughty, naughty Gryffindor. Good thing we have you here, so that you can't help Potter with the horcruxes."

Hermione frowned, as though she was upset with herself for getting found out, and Voldemort lapped it all up. Of course he wouldn't worry about little mudblood Granger. Even though she was the brightest witch of her age, he somehow underestimated her.

"Now, why don't you go be a good girl and get ready for your interview. Don't try anything. I would be forced to kill you and...I am sure Rabastan would be heartbroken."

* * *

Hermione allowed Narcissa to help her get ready for the interview, as if she had a choice otherwise. The green velvet dress had been freshly cleaned by the house elves, and Narcissa gingerly helped Hermione into the fabric, before smoothing it this way and that. She'd even helped Hermione step into tall black high heels.

Her hair and once again pulled back from her face, smoothed and in a twist, Hermione thought she looked poised and pretty, just like she was supposed to. Today, Narcissa had supplied her with a pair of emerald earrings to complete the look.

Grabbing Hermione's hand, Narcissa inspected the her ring for any speck of dirt or tiny smudge. "Honestly, I don't know why you would choose such a _small_ diamond." Narcissa complained. Hermione held her tongue, knowing that to many people not belonging to the old families, this was a very large diamond. "Then again, I don't suppose Rabastan would want to give _you_ anything too expensive until you give him an heir. Well, just be sure that you keep the stone pointed towards the reporters."

Hermione nodded, accepting Narcissa's advice, knowing that this whole situation with the reporter was just a publicity stunt. Oh, look at the Death Eater with his child bride. Look at how well she is being treated! But, she also knew that this was a chance for her to get a message to Harry and Ron, if they were able to get a hold of the Daily Prophet.

Narcissa brought her out and left her with Rabastan, telling them to come down to the library when they were ready to begin the interview. As soon as Narcissa left the room, Rabastan quickly closed the distance between himself and Hermione, grabbing her hand tightly in his. "Are you alright? Did he suspect anything?" He asked, his eyes moving back and forth across her face to take in her emotions.

Hermione gave a weak smile, but it didn't make her feel any more comfortable with the situation. "If he suspected anything, I don't know what it was. He was mostly curious about what I had planned on doing with Harry and Ron." Her smile turned quickly to a grimace. "I didn't particularly care for him rooting amongst my thoughts."

Rabastan pulled her into his arms, letting her fall into the embrace. He couldn't stop the smile when she relaxed into his body, as though he was removing some of her strife. As if, she trusted him. "I am sorry." He whispered into her hair, taking a moment to breath in her scent. Pulling away, he kissed her on the forehead. "Are you ready to go do this?"

Hermione couldn't contain the blush at the feeling of his soft lips against her skin, but nodded anyway, just wanting to get the interview over and done with. She followed Rabastan out of their rooms and down the hallway towards the library.

When the entered the library, the reporter and his photographer were already there. Hermione was just excited to see that it wasn't Rita Skeeter. She didn't think that she could handle dealing with that woman today, though, she felt safe with Rabastan, and knew he would protect her. Or try to anyways.

"Ah, Mr. Lestrange, wonderful to see you again." The reporter said, reaching out to shake hands with Rabastan, before turning to face Hermione. "And you must be Mrs. Lestrange."

Hermione, feeling her skin prickle at the thought of being Mrs. Lestrange, but also not wanting to offend her husband or raise any eyebrows, just smiled politely and allowed the reporter to kiss her hand. "Please, call me Hermione."

The four of them sat around an ornate coffee table, and Hermione thoroughly enjoyed the reporter, who she gathered with called Fawley, try to dance around the issue of her blood status. Rabastan mostly focused on Hermione's positives, that she was incredibly intelligent and that they were eager to start a family with one another. Hermione tried to keep her back straight at that, seeing as, she wasn't entirely certain _what_ she wanted with Rabastan.

When the reporter asked Hermione about how she was enjoying living at the Manor, she gave a bright smile. "Oh, I just love having so much time devoted to reading. I have been able to learn all sorts of things."

The reporter followed that up with a question on her happiness with Rabastan. She, of course, knew this was the whole purpose of the interview, to keep people from asking questions about her. "Although I was surprised to be matched with Rabastan initially, I was very pleased to learn how much we have in common. I am very happy in the marriage." She hoped her huge, toothy smile didn't seem put upon.

Fawley seemed very pleased with the answer, and changed focus to her engagement ring. Hermione felt herself perk up, it was the perfect opportunity to slip some intel to Harry and Ron. "It absolutely suits me, I think. Plus the band is goblin made - I researched goblin made jewelry when I was at Hogwarts because the sword of Godric Gryffindor is, as well. Did you know that it absorbs everything that doesn't destroy it?"

Fawley did not seem to understand the significance of her statement, choosing instead to nod his head, like she was annoying him.

* * *

Ever since they found the copy of the Daily Prophet floating around in Godric's Hollow, Ron had been seething. They had gone to see where it had all began, and having to fight off the giant snake, Nagini, had almost been the breaking point of Harry and Ron, but Harry had sucked it up and got Ron to stay.

Still, he wondered if it was really helping, having Ron with him. Their tensions had already been high, but now that damned article about Hermione was pushing things to the boiling point. Harry thought that Hermione looked quite beautiful in the photos. He supposed Ron did too, but that's not the way that he expressed his feelings.

"Look at what they did to her!" He'd seethed, shoving the paper into Harry's hands. "They've ruined her. She doesn't even look like Hermione anymore. And hanging all over that...that Death Eater!"

Harry could agree that it was unsettling to see Hermione holding onto the man, Rabastan Lestrange, who was her husband. Still, he was a little bit more interested in what was written beneath the picture of their friend.

Ron quieted down and began to read over Harry's shoulder, constantly scoffing. "They've brainwashed her too. Look at her saying how happy she is, how much she's learning, and that bloody goblin-made ring!" He wanted to destroy the paper and the evidence that their friend had clearly turned their backs on them. "As if any normal person would have a ring so big!"

Harry knew that Ron was thinking about the relationship that he and Hermione might have had if she was still here with them. As it turned out, Ron had always waited a little bit too long to make a move, and further, Harry doubted that Hermione had a choice in marrying Rabastan Lestrange. "Ron, please be reasonable. This is Hermione we are talking about."

Ron's ears turned red. "I know, and that's why it...hurts so much that she betrayed us at the first chance for a library and some shiny jewelry."

Harry shook his head. "I don't think she has betrayed us, Ron. I think she is trying to send us a message. See here, where she talks about the sword of Gryffindor being goblin made? And about how it takes in that which doesn't destroy it? Well, I killed the basilisk with the sword of Gryffindor."

Ron paused for a moment, finally sitting down, some of his anger dissipating. "So?" He asked, not following what his friend was getting at.

"Well, I think that she is saying that the sword of Gryffindor has basilisk venom in it, meaning that we can use the sword to destroy horcruxes." Harry said, smiling at the thought that even though their friend was away from them, and likely in an incredibly precarious situation, she was still able to help them.

"Great!" Ron said, before remembered that they didn't have it. "All we have to do now is find the sword. That seems more hopeless than finding another horcrux." Ron's momentary good attitude was quickly erased by the weight of the horcrux around his throat.

"Don't worry about Hermione, Ron." Harry tried to comfort him. "I am sure she is just doing what she needs to do to survive while she is there. She is still our friend though, and she's doing what she can to help us."

Ron smiled at that thought. Hermione was a good friend. "Yeah, you're right Harry. I am sure that Hermione would never ben happy with a Death Eater like Rabastan Lestrange."

Harry looked down at the paper with a small smile. He certainly hoped that it was true, but the picture Hermione _did_ look happy, although perhaps uncomfortable with being interviewed. When she looked up at Rabastan in the picture, and he smiled down at her, the smile on Hermione's face was genuine.


	11. Chapter 11

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.

A/N: Thank you guys for your favorites and follows. I am so glad that you are enjoying this so much. Huge thanks to my reviewers as well: DarylDixon'sLover, SereniteRose, animelover5107, Lady Atarah, winxgirl1997, Guest (happy belated birthday! I think that Voldemort is very arrogant...he doesn't think that Rabastan would ever betray him, and that his horcruxes are hidden so well), Salinia, Guest, Guest, Pwrmom2, Sampdoria, chibi-Clar, RelentlesslyRed, Mc111, JuliSt, Smithback, roon0, and sweets1111! You guys are so awesome!

I did have one guest who took issue with my using a marriage law in this story, and called it unoriginal. If you didn't like it, you didn't have to read all ten chapters...also, I think that this is unique among marriage laws, in that usually the Death Eaters are trying to get control over Hermione and she marries someone in the Order, or the ministry wants babies.

So, here is chapter eleven! Please let me know what you think...and be on the lookout for chapter twelve next week. Oh, and I will post a sneak peak on my tumblr later this week (nauticalparamour). Thanks!

* * *

It wasn't hard to arrange a day away from the Manor after the way that Hermione had cooperated with their Daily Prophet interview, and her completion of the translation of tales of Beedle the Bard. For some reason, the Death Eaters thought that she was just happily fulfilling her duties as wife of a Pureblood from one of the Sacred 28 families. Much to Hermione's surprise, after the article was released, she actually received numerous invitations to tea with other pureblooded wives.

She happily declined them all.

She and Rabastan had made plans to visit a small uninhabited island not far from his ancestral home shortly before Christmas, before having to return home for some kind of Death Eater Christmas party. Really it was just an annual Christmas party that the Malfoys held every year, but it still didn't make Hermione want to go to it. Plus Narcissa had been insufferable about the dress she would wear.

Still, they had a horcrux to destroy first, before she could even dream about strangling Narcissa with the nylons she'd be forced to wear. The morning of their little excursion, Rabastan and Hermione ate breakfast alone together in their room. Rabastan didn't say much and was visibly concerned, which surprised Hermione. She would do anything to defeat Voldemort, even if that meant sacrificing herself.

Rabastan apparated them both to the study in the Lestrange family home, and pulled out the Cup, a determined look on his face. "Ready to do this?" He asked her.

Hermione took a deep breath before nodding and taking his hand once again. He apparated them over the the uninhabited island. She immediately began to shiver from the cold ocean air. Rabastan gave her a small smile before casting a warming charm for her. She was touched by his thoughtfulness.

He set the Cup on the sandy ground, his wand trained on it, as though it might come to life of it's own accord. "Now, I have never killed a horcrux before, so we must remain vigilant. It will likely fight back - it's alive, and it will literally fight for it's life." He explained, even though he was sure that she already knew this. "In case the fiendfyre gets out of control...well, you know where to apparate back to."

"Is that why you chose an island?" Hermione asked him. She felt a shiver race up her spine, feeling the horcruxes dark energy caressing her in an unwanted embrace.

"Yes." Rabastan said simply. He knew that they could hopefully get away unharmed. Hermione had never actually cast the curse before, so he wasn't sure if she'd be prepared to control it. The flames were seductive, enticing, and difficult to predict. "Well, I suppose I will start then." He said, rubbing a hand over his face, not wanting this responsibility, but knowing that he needed to do it. " _Fiendfyre."_ He whispered, rotating his wand, until a snake of flame came from the end of his wand.

As soon as the flames hit the horcrux, the Cup let off billows of black smoke. It only took Hermione a moment to realize that it was taking shape, a form of a person. She didn't recognize the man, but she thought he looked similar to Rodolphus. Once he began speaking, though, she realized it was Rabastan's father.

" _Failure of a wizard, failure of our house!"_ The false image growled, leaving Rabastan surprised and confused. " _I raised you better than this, Rabastan! Lead astray by a mudblood and her cunt. You are not worthy of carrying our family name."_

"Don't listen to it, Rabastan. It is just trying to get in your head!" Hermione shouted, her voice not carrying very far over the whir of the fire.

" _She's using you, Rabastan. Our family will die with you and it will be all your fault."_ Hermione watched horrified as Rabastan's wand arm dropped to his side, the curse's power dwindling by the second. " _How dare you betray your heritage."_

"No! _Fiendfrye!_ " Hermione pointed her own wand at the Cup, her flames taking the shape of a great phoenix. The black smoke continued to billow, larger, larger, until she realized it was changing forms. Instead of Rabastan's father, she was seeing Harry and Ron. She closed her eyes, but was forced to reopen them, when she felt the power of the fiendfrye curse getting away from her. She had to focus, she had to concentrate.

" _How could you betray us like this, Hermione?"_ Harry asked her, disappointed. " _I trusted you! And now, you are just helping Voldemort. You couldn't stand not knowing things, so you had to give him that translation."_

" _You bitch! I loved you!"_ Ron spat at her. Hermione felt tears spring to her eyes, and her knees buckle beneath her. " _I guess I was never good enough for you, was I? You had to go for another wizard. Do you think he could ever love you, Hermione? He's a Death Eater. You are delusional if you think he's changed."_

Just as Hermione was about to break the curse, Rabastan grabbed for her empty hand, holding it tightly, bringing her back to reality and solid ground. These imitations were not Harry and Ron. They would understand why she did what she did. " _Fiendfrye!"_ With the added strength of Rabastan's curse, they were able to quickly kill the horcrux. It melted away into black ashes, before being carried off on the wind.

Dropping her wand to the ground, Hermione immediately threw her arms around Rabastan, crying in earnest now. He seemed confused at first, before tightly wrapping his own arms around her, rubbing soothing circles on her back. Feeling her shiver against him, Rabastan decided that it was time to go home. He bent over to retrieve her wand, before hugging her again, apparating them back to his ancestral home.

He called for Maurice, his family's house elf, to prepare them tea and then bring it to the library. He safely deposited Hermione onto the couch, and got to work lighting the fire in the fireplace, happy to gather his thoughts for a moment.

He heard Hermione's sobs dry to sniffles, followed by the pop of elf magic, and the clinking of fine china. He turned around and found her pouring tea into two cups, her eyebrows furrowed in concentration. When she finally looked up at him, he felt his breath leave him. She looked so upset and distraught. He wanted nothing more than to take away her pain.

Rabastan sat down on the couch next to her, happily taking the cup of tea from her, feeling the warmth slide down his throat and into his belly, warming him from the inside out. "That was bloody awful." He finally said, letting his eyes flicker to her face.

Hermione just nodded, before biting her lip. "You know I don't think you are a failure to our family." She said quietly.

Her statement warmed him better than any tea could. She'd said _our_ family, not your family. Did this mean that she accepted him, his name? What did it mean for their relationship, which was fledgling and weak in its strength? He knew that they'd been forced to marry and it wasn't the way that non-purebloods got together, but he found himself thinking that being married to her wasn't particularly bad. In fact, he enjoyed the way that she challenged him and fought him, made him change his perceptions.

Rabastan understood that the horcrux had been preying on their insecurities and that their biggest fears had been exposed to one another. Her's had been that her friends wouldn't understand her actions, and that he, Rabastan Lestrange couldn't possibly love her. He wanted to tell her that it was possible, that he _could_ love her, but he found the word sticking in his throat. "You know that your friends will understand." He offered instead. "They will learn that you helped."

Hermione sucked in a deep breath and nodded. "I really hope so." Her cinnamon brown eyes locked with his and he felt like she was boring into his very soul.

* * *

"I have to admit, red does suit you." Narcissa told Hermione, handing her a glass of champagne. Narcissa had selected a red backless gown for Hermione to wear to the Malfoy's annual Christmas Ball. She did like that it was a nod to her Gryffindor roots, but it didn't make up for the marathon dress up session they'd had earlier that day. Or the uncomfortable undergarments she'd been made to wear. "You look the picture of Christmas."

"Thank you, Narcissa." She told the older woman, with a half-smile, honestly all she could muster being forced to socialize with these people. She knew all of them couldn't stand her, but tolerated her for the Lestranges' sake.

Bellatrix was already drunk when Hermione entered the ballroom, and taking one look at Hermione's perfectly coiffed appearance, had announced to everyone that the kitten had been declawed. Hermione longed to shove her wand against Bellatrix's throat, but refrained, knowing that it would be a suicide mission.

Rodolphus had then taken her for a turn around the room, commenting on her grace and ability at dancing. She couldn't help herself from rolling her eyes, as though only purebloods had any culture. He then proceeded to ask her about when she was going to have a child, even going so far as to suggest certain positions that were said to aid in conception. "Why would I take advice from you, when it clearly didn't work with you and Bellatrix?" She'd asked him. He left her, angrier than she'd ever seen him, after that.

She'd started the night on the arm of her husband. Even since they'd destroyed the horcrux together, they had a much better understanding of one another. After all, they'd seen each other's deepest fears, insecurities. It was impossible not to be closer to him after that. And she couldn't shake the way that he'd taken such good care of her afterwards. She was looking forward to spending the Christmas holidays with him at his home.

Still, he eventually was roped into a conversation with Antonin Dolohov, who had viciously cursed her when she was in Fifth Year, and had roaming eyes now. Her skin would crawl, the way he looked her up and down. Although she was certain Rabastan noticed, she knew that he couldn't call out the other man without seeming suspicious.

Instead, she'd made her way to Narcissa, who she knew was harmless, but a bit annoying. Hermione still knew that Narcissa was desperately lonely, especially being married to a man like Lucius Malfoy, so she felt a little bit badly about it. She accepted the compliment about the dress and tried to move the conversation to a topic that she knew Narcissa would feel something about. "When must Millie marry Goyle?"

Narcissa didn't seem surprised that she knew about Millie's marriage contract. "After she's graduated. I must say I am surprised that you have taken such an interest in marriage contracts, after you fought against yours so fiercely."

"I didn't have a contract. I was kidnapped and forced to marry." Hermione said tersely. "And, like you, I understand that not all marriages are harmonious and agreeable for both parties." Narcissa stiffened at her side, but didn't say anything. "I just want to make sure that my friend Millie has the best chance at happiness."

"And you think that Millie would be unhappy with Goyle?" Narcissa asked, clearly not having given the wedding of a Bulstrode much thought.

Hermione pursed her lips together. "I think that she would be unhappy with _this_ Goyle. She loves Greg, from my year, and if I'm honest, they made quite the match when they attended Hogsmeade together last year."

Narcissa was surprised. "She should be happy to honor his family name then." Her voice was quiet, repeating a lie that she must have heard her mother say to her when she was a teenager. "Once she has children, they will be her life, and give her all the happiness she could want."

Hermione frowned, shaking her head. "Purebloods are so antiquated sometimes. Don't you know that conception - something purebloods obviously have issues with if the numbers of only children in my year are any indication - is much easier if the two people attempting it actually like each other?"

Narcissa's cheeks were pink at the mention of conception in such a public place. "Why are you sharing this with me?" She asked, confused by the younger girl's plans.

"Well, nothing I say to the Goyles or the Bulstrodes will change their minds about Millie's betrothal. I may be a Lestrange now, but I am still just a muggleborn girl." Hermione said, looking at Narcissa. "But a Malfoy's word carries much more weight. After all, your family is the epitome of pureblood society. I just want to give Millie a chance at happiness."

Narcissa preened at her words, complimenting her family. But then she was reminded of the fact that a young girl could get the chance at happiness that Narcissa never had. She wouldn't wish that kind of life on any girl. She remembered the cold welcome she'd received at Malfoy Manor when she was a new bride, barely seeing Lucius for more than a few days a month. Narcissa swallowed thickly, pushing her emotions aside. "I will think on it." She promised Hermione.

* * *

The next morning, Hermione met Draco and Millie in the library, as they waited to say goodbye to her before she left for her little holiday with Rabastan. She wasn't expecting the reception that she'd received. Millie had rushed over to her, squealing, as she wrapped Hermione up in a hug, actually picking her up off the ground, spinning her around in circles. "Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!"

"Merlin, could you keep it down. I've a bleeding headache." Malfoy said, from where he was sprawled out on the couch.

Millie set Hermione down, who was slightly dizzy from her treatment, and wholly confused. "Oh, I could just _kiss_ you Granger." Millie told her, with a huge smile on her face.

"What happened?" Hermione asked, still unsure of what she could have done to warrant such reaction from the normally reserved girl.

"Narcissa talked to father, and the Goyles, and they have agreed to change the betrothal contract." Millie said, eyeing Hermione with awe. "She said it was gauche to have the father remarry, when he had an of age son without a contract, and suggested that we'd be better paired, given our ages."

"That's wonderful, Millie." Hermione said, a genuine smile on her face. She was glad that her friend was going to get her chance at happiness. "You'll invite me to the wedding?" Hermione asked, suddenly feeling very timid with her new standing in wizarding society.

"Of course I will! It's all because of you that it's even happening." Millie told her, with a sly smirk on her face. "Plus, I want to see Pansy's eyes pop out of her head when she sees you waltz in, perfect bride to such an ancient and noble house as Lestrange."

Hermione frowned at that, thinking over everything. She hated being thought of as somehow better or cleansed just because Rabastan had married her. Luckily, Draco redirected the conversation. "Okay, okay, Millie and Greg sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G, first comes love, then comes marriage, then comes a baby in a baby carriage. We get it! Can we move onto another topic of conversation?"

Millie and Hermione took their places at the couch. "He's just upset because his father had him betrothed to Astoria Greengrass, and now she won't stop _stalking_ him." Millie said with a mischievous smile on her face.

"Or it's because I have a bloody hangover." Malfoy said with a snarl. "Besides, Mrs. Lestrange here doesn't have much time before her lover whisks her off to Merlin knows where, and we have _other things_ we need to discuss."

Hermione smiled at Malfoy, who was still incredibly uncomfortable with any discussion of her sex life or lack there off. "Alright, Draco. What is it that you wanted to talk about?"

"I remember where I saw _it_ finally." He said, his stormy gray eyes boring into her own. "And we found it again. It was in the Come and Go Room." He said, proud of his accomplishment. "I found saw it last year when I was repairing the vanishing cabinet."

Millie frowned. "Yes, I've seen it, too. It's an awful thing isn't it? Just being near it makes my skin crawl, and it always seems to... _whisper_ things to you. Awful things." The girl shuddered from the memory of the cursed tiara.

Hermione was quiet for a while, biting her lower lip, concerned. Soon Draco couldn't contain his curiosity any longer. "Well? What should we do with it now that it's been found?"

Hermione instinctively knew that she could trust them, especially now that she'd destroyed one with Rabastan. They wanted out of this new world order. "You have to destroy it." The serious tone of her voice was stifling in the drafty library. "But you won't be able to use conventional methods...basilisk venom if you can find some - maybe if you could get back into the Chamber of Secrets? - or...fiendfyre."

Draco's eyes were wide at her confession, spoken like someone who knew. "Alright Granger, consider it done." He said with confidence.

"But Draco, it _will_ fight back. And if you thought that the whispers were awful before...you can't imagine the kind of things it will say when it's dying. It literally finds your deepest fears and insecurities." Hermione told him, feeling the weight of the world on her shoulders. "So please be careful. It's literally fighting for it's life, because it contains a little bit of...soul." She revealed.

None of the three teenagers needed anyone to say whose bit of soul it was.


	12. Chapter 12

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter

A/N: So blown away that this story has reached over 200 reviews! It means so much to me. Big thanks to my reviewers from last chapter: laumirot, cherri deluca, Lrblucky13, SereniteRose, DarylDixon'sLover, JuliSt, Salinia, Hollowg1rl, chibi-Clar, guest, Sampdoria, winxgirl1997, Pwrmom2, articcat621, RelentlesslyRed, Mc111, supersmallfeet, ayuzachan, animelover5107, Viltho and smithback! Huge thanks to everyone who favorited/followed as well.

Here is a bit of a nice chapter...a bit of Christmas celebrations, before things really start picking up. I would love to hear what you thought of chapter twelve and be on the lookout for chapter thirteen next week!

* * *

When Millicent Bulstrode and Draco Malfoy came back through the Floo in Headmaster Snape's office, he resisted the urge to sigh. It seemed as if everything was finally coming together, and soon, things would be different.

He always knew that a time was coming, when there would be a _final_ confrontation, but it had been years of waiting for him, and he was just tired now.

For Bulstrode and Malfoy to waltz in looking so _determined_ and serious, he just knew that it was time. Now. "Wait a moment." He told them, resisting the urge to sneer, as had become second nature to him when dealing with students. "I know what you are up to."

Bulstrode flinched, but Malfoy's face didn't belie his true emotions. Snape was impressed, but didn't comment on it. Instead, he stood and walked over to a little cabinet where he stored his rarer potions ingredients. With a little shuffling around, he managed to find a small vile holding a bright green liquid near the back.

Turning back to face his students, he handed the little vial to Draco. "Basilisk venom." He said simply.

Draco didn't ask how he knew, or even comment on why they would need basilisk venom, which was all the better to Snape. The less remarkable this memory was meant it was easier to hide from the gifted Legilimens that that Dark Lord was. "Where did you get it?"

"There was a basilisk in the Chamber of Secrets that Harry Potter killed during your second year." Snape said, flatly, his baritone voice, though, clear in the still of the office. "I harvested it on the instructions of Dumbledore after we ensured that the beast had been dispatched."

Draco moved the vial back and forth, watching the air bubble move in the liquid and act as a kind of level. "How fortunate. It's very rare." The young man said, in that bored way that all Malfoys seemed to talk.

"Yes, so you will use it well." Snape said, sharply. "I don't know where I would find any more." He let his eyes wander over Bulstrode's face. She was still quite stiff and nervous, he could tell. "Well, what are you waiting for? Get out of my office." Snape hissed.

Just because he was helping his students didn't mean that he wanted to be _friends_ with them.

* * *

Rabastan had spent the day after the ball tying up loose strings on whatever it was he did for Voldemort. Hermione knew that he had missions, but she never asked what they entailed. Instead, she just sat back and worried when he was gone for extended periods of time. At first, she thought she was simply worried about her safety, if he was killed, but as the months passed by, she realized that she was actually worried about him.

Narcissa had taken the time to help Hermione plan her wardrobe for the following week, as Narcissa wouldn't be there to pick every days outfit while Hermione was away from the Manor. As loathe as Hermione was to admit it, she actually had a little bit of fun picking out things this time. It seemed that Narcissa had figured out that her clothing could be much more casual while she was away, seeing as it was a holiday after all. And Narcissa always picked out the softest cashmere sweaters.

Finally, though, it was time for Rabastan and Hermione to head to his ancestral home in Jersey for the week. Hermione was extremely excited to be away from the Manor and away from the war, even if it would only be for a few days.

Narcissa had met them in the drawing room, where the public floo was located, and handed Hermione her suitcase with a smile. "I packed a little Christmas present in there for you."

Hermione took the offered suitcase with a smile to hide her grimace. Certainly that meant it was some kind of racy barely there lingerie. It seemed everyone was expecting her to pop out a baby immediately, never mind that there was a war going on.

Rabastan led her through the Floo, and they were soon standing in the foyer. Hermione finally felt like she could relax for the first time since she'd been kidnapped. It was odd, really, considering that she was _with_ Rabastan, but she trusted him. He led her up the stairs, showing her the room where they were staying.

At first, she thought she should be a bit annoyed that he _didn't_ offer her her own room, now that they weren't confined to the Manor. But then, she realized that even if he had, she would have _wanted_ to stay in the same room as him. Why wouldn't she? They'd been doing that for months now, and it would be odd not to wake up with his warmth cocooning her.

Waving her wand, she opened the suitcase and her clothes were quickly flying into their correct locations in the wardrobe. A parcel wrapped in green paper with a silver bow was left in the bottom of the suitcase. "Must be Narcissa's present." She told Rabastan with a half smile.

"Why don't you open it then?" Rabastan asked her, intrigued by what it would possibly be.

Hermione shrugged, before reading the note that Narcissa had attached. " _Draco tells me these are all the rage in France right now._ " Hermione dared to hope, and quickly ripped open the paper. To her delight, inside was a brand new pair of blue jeans. "Jeans! She got me jeans! Oh, I love that woman."

Hermione quickly reached around her waist to unzip and drop the skirt she was wearing to the floor. Rabastan found himself staring at her shapely legs, wanting to know how her bare thighs would feel wrapped around his waist. To his immense disappointment, she quickly stepped into the blue fabric, covering her skin once again.

That was until she turned around. These _jeans_ as Hermione called them hugged her arse perfectly. He felt his mouth go dry at the sight. Merlin, things were getting interesting.

* * *

They'd spent much of their first day together reading in the library. Although Hermione had previously said he couldn't buy her with books, she was eagerly devouring the contents of his family library, whose topics were vast and in depth. He, being an intellectual, also enjoyed her quiet company on the couch.

Today, however, they were spending the day in the kitchens. Maurice had been horrified when Hermione asked him for ingredients to make sugar cookies, and to let her bake alone in the kitchen, but had listened to her as she was technically the Mistress of the house.

He was in awe, watching her work completely from memory. "It's my grandmother's recipe." She said with a small smile.

"It's a lot like potions." He said with a curious grin, watching as she mixed melted butter in with sugars and add eggs and vanilla extract. She looked adorable with a bit of confectioners sugar on her cheeks and nose.

She handed him the bowl and spoon when the flour became too difficult to stir in on her own. "Were you good at potions, in school?" She asked him, curious. She wanted to know everything about him, but she could barely tear her eyes from the visual of his biceps bunching and relaxing as he stirred the mixture.

"Alright. It wasn't my best subject, but it wasn't my worst either. I was probably towards the top of the class." He told her with a shrug. He'd gotten an O in his O.W.L.s, but he also hadn't been one of Professor Slughorn's special students.

Rabastan looked up from his work, stirring the batter, to realize that Hermione wasn't really paying attention to what he was saying. No, she was far more interested in ogling his body, he thought, a bit of male pride swelling in his chest. He took to moment to stare at his own wife, the promises of her body poorly hidden by her attire. Plus she looked so cute with that bit of sugar on her face.

Unable to resist, he set down the bowl on the table, and pulled her body to his, until they were pressed firmly against one another. Hermione looked up at him with confusion knitting her eyebrows together and her teeth worrying her lower lip. But her eyes - her eyes told a different story, a story of desire.

Dipping his head, he pressed his lips to hers, soothing her lower lip with his tongue. He delighted feeling Hermione open her lips to his questing tongue. She moaned against him, positively melting into his body. Rabastan lifted her so that she could sit on the counter, and stood between her welcoming legs.

After a small squeak of surprise at being moved, Hermione didn't mind the new positioning, allowing her arms to wrap around his shoulders, pulling him closer to her body. Merlin, Rabastan thought to himself, he could do this until he died, her lips pressed against his in a sensual embrace.

Before long, Hermione put her tiny hands on his shoulders, pushing him back from her. Reluctantly, Rabastan released her from their kiss. She had a pretty blush on his cheeks, and was breathing heavily, her breasts moving up and down beneath soft cashmere. She didn't seem embarrassed though, instead waving her wand at the bowl of batter.

Rabastan watched in amusement, still standing between her firm thighs, as the batter rolled itself into little round balls, and then arranged themselves on several cookie sheets. Finally, she sent the cookie sheets into the oven, setting the timer after she closed the door.

Her wand once again on the counter, she looked at Rabastan with a bit of hesitation, before her desire returned, and she pulled him to her lips once again. They snogged then, in the kitchen, long after the timer had dinged and the cookies had cooled.

* * *

Hermione liked to spend her evenings in the library with Rabastan sitting next to her on the couch. She was actually quite interested to learn about his family, and he was happy to share the history with her. It seemed that his family hadn't been quite such staunch pureblood supremacists until his father had attended school with Tom Riddle.

Well, they of course _believed_ in blood purity, as Rabastan told it, but it seemed that it was more like they considered themselves royalty, while half-bloods and muggleborns were like commoners. You would never interact with or marry them, but you weren't trying to eradicate them either.

It was so interesting to her, to be a part of such a family. When it was just the two of them alone together, Hermione didn't really mind being a Lestrange. She had been so removed from her old life that it just felt right now, for her to be with Rabastan. But whenever she was forced to interact with Rodolphus or Bellatrix, Hermione hated that she was associated with them now.

It was a wonderful fantasy to be here in the Lestrange ancestral home, though, for Christmas, because Hermione could pretend that all of that - the war, horcruxes, Voldemort - didn't exist, and she was just a woman enjoying her husband.

And enjoy him she did. Ever since they shared a kiss making cookies on their first day at the house, Rabastan had been much more affectionate, and Hermione found she didn't mind at all. Sometimes she would even initiate. After their experience destroying the horcrux together, Hermione felt that she understood Rabastan and he understood her, more than even Harry or Ron.

When they were in the library was Hermione's favorite time to initiate a kiss. They would read quietly, until Hermione found that she could no longer focus on the book or journal that she was reading. She would place the reading material down on the couch next to her before staring at her husband.

Usually it didn't take long for him to feel the burn of her eyes on his body and would set aside whatever he'd been reading. It was nice to find someone who enjoyed reading and academia as much as she did. It made her think of how maybe in a different life, they could be together, could have found each other.

He'd look at her with lust smoldering in his light green eyes, daring her to move, until she'd pull her body up off the cushions so that she could trap his mouth in a kiss. Even if she tried to keep it innocent, a little peck or short kiss, things could never stay innocent with Rabastan. Instead, he'd wrap his arms around her, and pull her into a deeper kiss, sucking her lower lip between his, nibbling it lightly with his teeth.

Before long Hermione would find herself straddling Rabastan's waist, sighing into his embrace, and enjoying the feel of his kisses on her neck and decolletage. Even though they had done this more than once, neither one of them ever brought it up or discussed what they were doing. Hermione desperately wanted more and it was always with disappointment and stickiness between her legs that she would walk away at the end of the night.

But tonight, the night before they were meant to return to the Manor, Hermione decided that she wanted more than kisses that left her dizzy. She knew that the war was coming and as selfish as it sounded, she knew that she needed to take what she wanted at this point. It was the last time that they could be just the two of them without any pressures from the outside world.

She grabbed his book and set it on the little side table next to the couch, before straddling his lap, putting her arms on his shoulders. He looked confused for only a moment before his own desire overwhelmed him, and he pressed his lips against her own. It took mere moments for Hermione to open her mouth to his, her tongue questing to meet his in a familiar dance.

Soon, though, she wanted more and brought one of his large hands up to rest against the soft flesh of her breast. Rabastan still immediately, pulling away from her so that he could look at her face, but not removing his hands from her body. Try as he might, he couldn't put his question into words.

Seeing his hesitance, Hermione knew she had to tell him how much she wanted this. "Please Rabastan." She told him, her voice sounding needier than she would have expected. "I want this."

Her husband didn't need to be told twice. He let his hand gently palm the supple flesh hidden by her sweater. His other hand made its way up under her shirt, caressing the soft skin of her back. She felt more heavenly than he could have ever imagined and he couldn't have anticipated the way that her moaning into his ear would undo him.

She was perfection to him. More beautiful, more intelligent, more right for him than anyone else he'd ever met. He knew that it was chasing danger to have these feelings for her, but she inspired so much more in him than he could have predicted.

Hermione could feel her heart racing beneath her breast, but she found that she couldn't care. This was new and glorious and more than she had considered she could have with Rabastan. He stirred feelings in her that she didn't want to put into words at the moment, so instead, she let herself get lost in the sensation. She rotated her hips in a circular motion, sighing at the building heat in her core.

Knowing that it would likely take more than her movements to get him to reach his peak with her, Hermione excitedly let her hands fumble between them, until she'd freed his cock from his trousers. He felt hotter, harder, heavier than she had ever imagined. Letting her fingers explore his flesh, she delighted in the strangled noises that she got him to make.

He didn't waste time though, in opening the zip to her own jeans, his hand awkwardly held by the fabric and the way that their bodies were positioned. Still, he hissed when he felt how wet she was, and allowed his fingers to roll her clit in tight circles.

It felt better than anything Hermione had ever achieved on her own, and soon they were moving quickly together, each trying to get the other to come first. Hermione, so tightly wound, felt herself go first, her body tingling from her center to her fingers and toes in pleasurable waves. She heard herself moaning quietly, as she let her head fall to Rabastan's shoulder. Never stopping the up and down motion of her own hands, he quickly followed her, a groan ripped from his chest.

They sat there together, breathing heavily and holding one another until their passions had waned. Rabastan let his hand trace her jaw, pulling her face up so that he might kiss her again. Privately, they were both wondering where _this_ left their relationship.

* * *

Hermione had told them that the Diadem would fight back - would fight for it's life - but Millie hadn't been expecting that at all. It had been horrible, truly horrible, and she knew it would haunt her dreams for a while now.

When they first found it, it had been whispering in that way that made her skin crawl so badly that she would scratch at her arms until they were red. Then, when Draco had poured the basilisk venom on the Diadem, it _had_ fought back. It said the most horrible things to both her and Draco.

By the time it was gone, Millie had been in tears, and Draco had dutifully held her, like the true friend that he was. He promised to never speak of the things that it had ground out about her. It was much worse than a boggart.

It was over now though, and all that was left was for Millie to send word to Hermione. She hoped that the brunette enjoyed her bit of code that she'd penned.

" _Dear Hermione,_

 _I am so pleased to begin planning my wedding. Won't you help me plan it? I know that you have always been so organized. Pansy showed me the most beautiful tiara in a catalog, but when I asked after it, they told me it was no longer available._

 _Please write back once you get a chance._

 _Millie Bulstrode"_


	13. Chapter 13

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.

A/N: Huge thanks to everyone who favorited or followed last chapter. I really can't believe this story has over 400 followers! Huge thanks to my reviewers from last chapter as well: winxgirl1997, DarylDixon'sLover, Sampdoria, SereniteRose, Chantal9, Chibi-clar, Lrblucky13, JuliSt, Mc111, Smithback, Guest, roon0, Guest, KarukMomma, Pwrmom2, SilverIce523, RelentlesslyRed, arcticcat621, supersmallfeet and thebluefeather. You guys are seriously awesome.

Only three chapters left after this one - and as a lot of you mused in the reviews, things are about to get crazy. But I hope that you will enjoy this chapter before things get crazy. Please let me know what you thought about chapter thirteen and be on the lookout for chapter fourteen next week!

* * *

When they returned to the Manor, it was clear to everyone that there had been a shift in the relationship. Hermione wasn't sure what it was that tipped them off exactly, as they hadn't said anything to anyone, and she didn't think they acted too differently.

Perhaps it was the way that Rabastan went out of his way to touch her. Perhaps it was the extra affection that he bestowed on her during the rare times that they would eat with the other Death Eaters. Or maybe Rabastan had shared with Rodolphus what had occurred. The way her brother-in-law would grin at her always made her a bit uncomfortable, but at least he didn't mention babies as much anymore.

Still, Hermione _had_ been enjoying the shift in their relationship for the week that they had been back, although, returning to the Manor had brought them back to reality. She'd shared with him the note that she'd received from Millicent. Initially, Rabastan had been outraged that she would bring in Draco and Millie into their plot to destroy the horcruxes, but eventually he conceded that it had been her only option at the time.

He had been a bit dumbfounded, though, to hear her insist so vehemently that she was willing to die for her cause. As someone who had been in Azkaban for over a decade, he didn't share her willingness to die for the Order, though, if pressed, he probably would die for Hermione. She was now his responsibility.

They had discussed the other possibilities of horcruxes, as by Hermione's calculations, there should only be one left, if the boys had been able to destroy the locket. The other night, as they had been lying naked and sated in the bed, they'd discussed what object it might be. Although they had not yet fully consummated their relationship, Rabastan wasn't shy about intimacy and seemed to really enjoy getting her off with his tongue, lips and fingers. And in turn, Hermione enjoyed learning new ways to make Rabastan lose control as well.

"It has to be the snake." He whispered to her. "Nagini. The Dark Lord brings her everywhere with him."

Hermione shivered, and not from the cooling sweat on her skin. "Can you make a living horcrux?" She asked him. They'd considered it once before, but they didn't ever confirm if it was possible or not. There wasn't much written on the topic as it was generally considered too vile of a process to really experiment with.

"Ever since we dealt with the Cup, I've been able to sense the magic in Nagini. I don't know if a living horcrux has been attempted before, but he would definitely be the one to try it." Rabastan told her, pressing his lips against her temple.

"Then we won't be able to get rid of her until the end." She told him, resignation settling into her soul. She didn't know when the end would be, and she didn't particularly like thinking about it, as it brought all kinds of questions about her relationship with Rabastan into question.

* * *

It had been a week since they settled on the idea that Nagini was the last horcrux. The morning after that conversation, Rabastan had left and not returned. Hermione assumed he was on a mission for the Dark Lord, but as the days ticked by she worried that he might have been suspected by Voldemort. He'd never been gone this long before.

But, by the seventh day, she was ready to do something about it. She called for the house elf, who seemed to be incredibly surprised that she was asking it for anything. "Please bring me to Rodolphus." Hermione told the elf firmly. "Right now."

The elf grabbed her hand and popped her into the office that Rodolphus was currently in. He'd been having a firewhiskey, although not particularly enjoying it. By his expression, he had not expected to be confronted by her. "Hermione?" He asked, his voice gruff as though he hadn't talked in hours.

"Where is Rabastan?" She asked, trying not to let her concern bleed into her voice. She wanted to seem reasonable and in control of her emotion. It would do her any good to seem panicked, as it might set off alarm bells.

"He was on a mission." Rodolphus said softly. "He was supposed to be back three days ago." It seemed that his brother being gone was just as concerning to Rodolphus as it was to Hermione, which, truly, was a bit touching. She knew how important family was to the Lestranges, but it was rare to see much emotion from the large man.

Still, Hermione was incredibly annoyed that she was only just hearing about this. "Were you ever going to tell me that my _husband_ was missing?" She placed her hands on her hips in the way that always got Harry and Ron to admit exactly what they were up to.

Rodolphus winced. "Rabastan always comes back." He set his glass down on the table. "But, I'll admit, this is a long time, even for my brother. If he wasn't back this evening, I was going to go looking for him."

"Bring me with you then." Hermione insisted. She needed to make sure that Rabastan was okay, safe...and her arms once again.

He smiled at her, before shaking his head slightly. "Look, I am worried about him as well, but even I am not stupid enough to bring you with me. You'd bolt at the first chance."

Hermione felt guilty that the thought of fleeing hadn't crossed her mind once. Instead, her heart had been set on making sure that Rabastan would be okay. She should have been trying to get back to Harry and Ron to help them. Feeling defeated at Rodolphus's denial of her request, she felt her shoulders slump. "Well, you will let me know if-" Her quick inhalation at the prospect of what she was suggesting was audible. She swallowed back the awkward lump in her throat to continue speaking. "When you find him."

Rodolphus offered her a grim smile. "Of course. You will be the first person I tell."

* * *

Hermione was startled from deep sleep by someone opening the door. She peered through the darkness, able to make out the large figure of Rodolphus, helping someone walk into her room. She waved her hand, and all the candles in the room flared to life.

Rodolphus was too distracted by Rabastan's groaning form to notice her use of wandless magic. Unconcerned with her attire, Hermione kicked back the covers, and rushed over to help guide Rabastan to the bed, the cool air forcing her wide awake. "What happened?"

"I found him in a muggle hospital." Rodolphus cursed. "They found him unconscious, but the fools haven't been able to stop the bleeding because he was cursed."

Hermione helped settle Rabastan onto their bed. As soon as he hit the mattress, he drifted back into unconsciousness. It seemed that the trip from the hospital took away much of his energy. Hermione already felt tears in the back of her eyes at seeing him in this state. "Who did this to him?" She asked Rodolphus, desperate for answers.

"The Order, who else?" Rodolphus told her casually, as if he were used to it. Hermione initially thought that the Order wouldn't do something like this, before realizing how silly that thought was. Of course they would. He was just a Death Eater and they didn't know how much she lo-loved him. The thought rushed over her like a tidal wave, but luckily, Rodolphus was quick to distract her. "I can counter the curse, but I have never been good with healing spells. Can you help him?"

Hermione bit her lip, shaking away all of her emotions. She needed Rabastan alive in order to discuss her feelings, and if that meant healing him, she would do it. "Yes, I have read up on a lot of them." She barely blinked when Rodolphus handed her Rabastan's wand. Clearly, no one knew that she had been returned her own. Still, his wand just felt _right_ in her hand.

Rodolphus quickly began countering the curse, and Hermione waited for the opportunity to help heal him. It was almost unbearable to watch the curse pulled from him, as he groaned and cried, even in his unconscious state. She wanted to take away all of the pain that he was feeling.

Finally, Rodolphus was finished, and Hermione began to run healing spells to stop his blood flow and repair internal wounds. It took a long while, but she was able to get the bleeding to stop, which was their primary concern. "Now we just need some blood replenishing potion and a bit of dittany. Can you get him some?" She asked Rodolphus as politely as possible.

"Dittany?" The larger man asked, wanting to make sure that his sister-in-law wasn't aiming to become a widow. He wasn't so good with potions ingredients.

She didn't even hesitate though, in telling him what it was for. "It's to help with the scarring. I will change the sheets while you are gone." Hermione felt as though all of her energy was drained, but she wasn't done helping Rabastan yet.

After Rodolphus left the room, she used his wand to magically change the sheets, as the ones that had been on the bed were now bright red with blood. After removing them, and settling Rabastan back in, she called for a house elf, so that they might begin cleaning the sheets. She knew Narcissa would be very upset if they were ruined.

When Rodolphus returned, she administered the potion, using her fingers to massage his throat to ensure that it was all swallowed properly. Then, she lifted the sheets to apply the dittany to the scar on his abdomen. Rodolphus let out a sigh of relief when the wound began stitching itself together. "What now?" He asked her after she tucked him in.

"All we can do now is wait, until he gets better." Hermione told him, trying to let him know that he had an ally in her where Rabastan was concerned. She wanted him better as much as his brother did, although, she suspected for vastly different reasons.

Rodolphus nodded, knowing that his brother was in good hands. "I will leave you alone then. I will be back tomorrow to check on him, though."

Once Rodolphus had left her room a second time, Hermione finally allowed her body to sag. That had really taken a lot out of her, and all she wanted to do now was rest. She walked around to her side of the bed and climbed under the covers.

Shuffling over, she let her leg tangle with Rabastan's, upset with how cool his skin felt to the touch from the blood loss. Moving his arm, she wrapped it around her body, so that she might rest her arm and head on his chest, taking extra care not to disturb his new wound.

Once she was fully in his embrace, she felt the tears come to her eyes again. It didn't take long for her to be fully crying against him, so glad that she hadn't lost him. The thought of what would have happened to her in the viper's nest hadn't even crossed her mind yet, all that she could think about was not being together with Rabastan any longer. She'd only just found him and she wasn't ready to give him up.

* * *

Hermione was sitting in the little window seat, reading a book, when Rabastan had began to stir. No sooner had she gotten to his side than Rodolphus entered the room. "He's just waking up." Hermione said quietly, trying to make the transition to consciousness as easy as possible.

"Dolph? Mione?" He said blearily, looking around the room in confusion as everything began to come into place. "What happened?"

"You were attacked." Rodolphus told him. "Some muggles found you and took you to one of their hospitals." He scowled, even though he knew that their primitive methods did help keep him alive for as long as he was. Still, Rodolphus shuddered at the idea of sewing someone shut. "Hermione and I took care of you though."

"My wand?" Rabastan said, as the flood of memories came back.

"Hermione has it." Rodolphus told his brother curtly, not worried about her using it against them. "Do you remember who it was that got you?"

Rabastan's eyebrows furrowed as he thought back. "Lupin and Shacklebolt."

Hermione felt her breath leave her, but neither brother paid it any mind. She couldn't believe that Lupin and Kingsley would do that, but she supposed that they were fighting a war.

Rodolphus patted his brother on the shoulder. "I will leave you in Hermione's capable hands to convalesce. I will stop by tomorrow though, to see how you are feeling." With that, the older brother left the couple to their own devices.

"How are you feeling?" Hermione asked gently, looking at her prone husband, her heart swelling with gratitude that he was actually recovering. All night, she'd been plagued with dreams that she'd wake up with him dead in her arms.

"A bit sore, but mostly fine." Rabastan told her, his light green eyes wandering over her form. Clearly she had been under a lot of stress recently. "How long was I gone for?"

Hermione bit her lower lip. She didn't want to make him feel bad, but at the same time, she wanted him to know just how worried about him she'd been. "You'd been gone for a week before I went to talk to Rodolphus. He brought you back the day after." Unable to stop herself, she threw herself into his arms, sighing into his warm embrace. "Oh, I am so glad you are okay."

She rained kisses all over his face and seeing his gentle smile at the treatment, she placed a kiss against his lips. It didn't take long for their kiss to become quite passionate, as they usually did. Hermione moaned into his mouth, delighting at the feel of them being connected once again.

Before long, she wanted her body fully pressed against his, and found herself climbing atop him, pressing her chest against his, and her legs placed on either side of his waist. She could feel that he was already hard against her, and she wanted nothing more than to be with him fully.

But, Rabastan used his hands to gently push her shoulders backwards, breaking the kiss. Confused, but eager, Hermione sat up, perched on his lap, and removed the sweater she was wearing, before reaching behind her to unclasp her bra. When her breasts were revealed, she heard Rabastan hiss and his cock twitch in anticipation against her. "Stop, we don't have to do this." He said to her, no longer willing to look at her naked torso.

"What? Why not?" Hermione demanded, worried that he didn't want her anymore. Had being attacked by her friends made him realize that she wasn't worth it?

"I will not take advantage of your heightened emotions and consummate our bond. It's a big decision." He said, his eyes traitorously straying to her narrow waist. He wanted nothing more than to consummate their bond; it was actually all that he'd been able to think about since they'd spent Christmas in Jersey.

Hermione laughed. "You aren't taking advantage of my emotions. I _was_ worried about you, but the thought that you might not be around made me realize that I...I love you, Rabastan." She said with a smile on her face.

His eyes snapped to hers at that confession. He opened his mouth to speak, but Hermione just pressed her delicate fingertips to his lips. "Don't. I don't want you to say it back, unless you are sure of it." The serene smile on her face showed that she was completely comfortable with him. "But, what I do want...is to have sex with you." She rotated her hips against his. "Can we proceed?"

Rabastan looked up at his witch with utter amazement. How had he been lucky enough to get Hermione Granger? "Yes, but I am still a bit sore, so, go easy on me." He jested.

Hermione matched his smile and stood from the bed, unzipping her jeans and pushing them down her legs, taking her knickers with them. He would never get tired of seeing her this way. She was gorgeous. Hermione didn't waste any time though, and pulled the blanket down his body, so that his bare form was revealed to her.

Rabastan hissed at the sudden rush of cold air, but moaned when Hermione repositioned herself on top of him, her core settled intimately against him. Merlin, she was wetter than he could have imagined. When she leaned back down to kiss him, he finally let his hands cup her breasts, her nipples hard beneath his skilled fingers.

Once she'd been kissed into a tizzy, Rabastan felt Hermione lift herself slightly, before positioning his tip against her cleft. Then she slowly reseated herself, taking inch after inch of him, until he was fully inside of her. She was so tight and hot, he had to bite his lip to maintain his composure. Merlin, she felt like sin.

Hermione felt so full and complete, but after letting her body adjust was eager to move, lifting and lowering herself over him again and again. Her body was singing with the magic of their wedding bond, finally completed. The push and pull of him entering felt better than anything she'd imagined, and she quickly found herself moaning, a coil in her core tightening. Slowly she rotated her hips, finding an angle that had her toes curling, loving the feel of him inside of her.

Soon, Rabastan couldn't take her slow pace any longer. He gripped her hips tightly, knowing that he needed her closer, harder. Using his own hips, he was soon entering her faster and faster, moving closer to his own peak. It took only a few more strokes before Hermione was cumming around him, her silky walls grasping at him, not wanting to let him go.

The feel of her rhythmically clenching around him and her keening cry of his name soon had him following her into ecstasy, his hips jerking as he emptied himself into her, groaning. Hermione quickly collapsed against him, and Rabastan enjoyed the feel of her pressed against him. He ran his fingers through her curly hair, the soft feel of her breathing lulling him to sleep.


	14. Chapter 14

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.

A/N: Wow - thank you so so much for the favorites and follows! Over 200 follows! Huge thanks to my reviewers as well: DarylDixon'sLover, winxgirl1997, Mc111, SereniteRose, animelover5107, Pwrmom2, JuliSt, laumirot, Smithback, SilverIce523, Sampdoria, Guest, Lrblucky13, chibi-Clar, articcat621, RelentlesslyRed, supersmallfeet, and Clementine Buttersnaps! You guys are awesome!

I am working on, and hope to start publishing in two weeks, a new story. It's going to be a Theo/Hermione, but Sirius will also be playing a big role. Is that something you'd be interested in? I may begin posting snippets on my tumblr (nauticalparamour) soon, if people are interested.

I would love to hear what you think of chapter fourteen! Keep an eye out for chapter fifteen next week!

* * *

It seemed like only days had passed before the final confrontation occurred, but really it had been months. Still, it didn't stop Hermione's all out surprise when Rabastan rushed into their rooms late one evening to let her know it was time. "Potter's been sighted in Hogsmeade. This is it." He whispered to her, before pressing his lips against hers as though it might be the last.

Hermione scrunched her nose in annoyance at this. "So what's the plan? Do you have spare robes that I could wear, so that I can get into the castle?" She thought she could drop them as soon as she arrived. Merlin, she couldn't wait to see Harry and Ron again.

"What are you talking about?" Rabastan asked her, his eyes pouring over her face in confusion. "Surely you don't think that you are coming with?"

Hermione stood from the table where she'd been seated. "Of course I am going with. You didn't think that I would just sit here while everyone else was out there fighting?" Seeing the serious look on his face, she knew that he did think that she was going to wait it out. "You can't be serious...I have been fighting the Dark Lord since I was eleven, and I am not going to leave it here. Harry needs me."

As much as Rabastan wanted to tell her that Potter had gotten by without for over half a year, he bit his tongue. He knew that Voldemort needed to be defeated, and he knew that Harry Potter chances increased greatly with Hermione Granger by his side. Still, he couldn't stop himself from asking her to stay one more time. "Are you sure I can't take you to Jersey? I would ward you in."

Hermione smiled sadly at him, knowing that he just didn't want to see her hurt, but shook her head. "I am coming with you." She whispered in the stillness of the room.

Rabastan duplicated his robes and handed them to her. It looked so wrong to see her standing in the black robes of a Death Eater, but he knew it was necessary. In the months since Hermione had told him she loved him, Rabastan had never uttered the words back to her. But now, he knew that this might be the last chance that he had to express his feelings for her.

Grabbing the sides of her face between his hands, he forced her to look at him, her cinnamon brown eyes meeting his without hesitation. "I love you too much to let you die tonight. If I think that for even one second that you are compromised...I will apparate away with you, take you somewhere safe. Do you understand?"

Hermione bit her lip, but nodded, feeling hot tears forming in her eyes. "I love you, too, Rabastan. I won't give you up." She promised him back, a fierceness in her voice.

Nodding, Rabastan kissed her on the lips, this time allowing his tongue to caress against hers, feeling awash in emotion. But, soon, a pain in his arm had him hissing in pain. "We have to go now. Put the hood up."

Once Hermione was fully covered, Rabastan apparated them to the clearing where Voldemort was waiting, Hogwarts illuminated in the distance. He was giving a grand speech, and Rabastan could feel Hermione shaking in anger next to him, but she kept her eyes firmly on the ground.

* * *

It didn't take long for them to breach Hogwarts's wards, Hermione thought, dismally. She'd hoped that the castle would be able to hold out, but it was all the better for her. She couldn't get into the school if the wards were up.

She'd stayed close to Rabastan the whole time, but now she knew that it was time to separate, if only briefly. She pulled him aside before they entered the fray in the courtyard and kissed him once more, asking him to stay safe. "I have to go see them alone. But I will find you again." She told him, her heart aching at having to leave him.

He nodded dumbly, before canceling the charm on the robes, watching them disappear from her, leaving her a jumper and jeans. She took on last long look at him, as though to memorize his face, before turning and running through the fighting, sending curses and jinxes as she went.

Hermione felt her lungs burning, but she knew that she had to get inside the castle as quickly as possible. Once she'd made her way through the big oak doors, she quickly ran into Draco, intentionally. He grabbed her, and Hermione wrapped her arms around him in a tight hug. "Lestrange. Any other fancy jewelry that I should be looking for to end this?" He asked her, a serious look on his face.

Hermione shook her head. "No, it's the snake. We have to find the snake." She told him earnestly. Before she could tell him more details, she heard a voice that she'd longed to hear for months.

"Malfoy! Get your ferrety paws off of Hermione!" Hermione turned to see Ron and Harry a few paces away, wands pointed at him.

Dropping her arms from Draco's shoulders, she ran over to them. "Harry! Ron!" She wrapped both of the boys into a warm embrace. "Merlin, I've missed you!" They looked exactly like she remembered, but a bit worse for wear. She could tell that they hadn't been eating very much.

"We missed you too, but we have a snake to take care of." Ron said, with a sneer, his wand still trained at Draco.

Hermione shook her head. "No, you don't understand. Draco has been helping me. He and Millie destroyed a horcrux - the Lost Diadem of Ravenclaw." She was willing them to listen to her, to see reason for once in their lives before jumping to conclusions.

"Millie?" Harry asked, surprised hearing that Malfoy had helped. He couldn't imagine the blond doing anything that would go against his master.

"Yes, Millicent Bulstrode." Hermione told them, before remembering that they hadn't had months to learn to trust the two Slytherins. She could see the distrust swirling in their eyes, and knew that it would be an uphill battle getting them to accept her new friends.

"Have they cursed you Hermione? You are talking crazy." Ron said, his eyes finally on their friend, who looked surprisingly well considering she'd been in Death Eater custody since they'd last seen her.

"Not cursed, just had to make due with what I had. We got rid of another one - Hufflepuff's Cup. It was in the Lestrange vault. Rabastan got it for me." She told them. Ron immediately scowled at the mention of her husband. "Did you guys take care of the locket? Did you get my message in the paper?"

Harry nodded. "Yes, thank you for telling us about the sword. It would have taken me a long time to work that out on my own. Two horcruxes, Hermione?" He asked, impressed with all that Hermione had accomplished while in captivity.

"Yes, and now all that's left is the snake, Nagini. Do you have the sword?" Hermione asked.

Ron winced. "We got it taken away from us by snatchers."

Hermione's brain immediately began whirring. "Alright, we'll just have to make due with something else. Draco, do you have any more basilisk venom?" She asked over her shoulder to the blond who had dutifully stayed next to the trio.

"We used it all, unfortunately." Draco said, willing the memories of the dying horcrux into the back of his memory.

"We could just go get another basilisk fang, from the Chamber of Secrets?" Ron said, hesitantly.

"Brilliant!" Harry said, clapping his friend on the back.

Draco left the trio to go look for Millie, while the three Gryffindors went off in the direction of the girls' loo. With Draco gone, Hermione was distinctly aware that she didn't really know how to act around her two best friends. So much had happened when they were apart, and there was a gulf between them. Of course, that would have to be addressed.

But for now, Hermione had a basilisk fang to get.

* * *

Rabastan had spent his time after Hermione left fighting in the main courtyard. Although he didn't want to seriously hurt anyone, he was mostly just working to keep himself alive, putting up shield after shield.

Once the Dark Lord had left to "deal with" Snape, Rabastan spent the majority of his time looking for Nagini, but he didn't know what he would even do if he could find the snake. He was sure that the vicious snake would fight back, and he didn't know if...traditional methods would even kill the thing.

His best case scenario was to try to Avada it.

Unable to locate the reptile so far, though, he'd dodged at least ten of the "good guys" who were out to kill him, and had protected his brother at least once. He'd even saved a young man - a Weasley, he thought - from a falling wall. He wasn't sure why he did it at the time, but he couldn't linger on the thoughts too long during the battle.

He certainly wasn't planning on seeing Hermione, flanking Potter with the other Weasley, to come running back out into the fighting in the courtyard, carrying an extremely large fang. It must be a basilisk fang, Rabastan thought faintly.

What he wasn't expecting was Hermione to become separated from her friends very quickly, only to be cornered by Bellatrix. She looked shocked as Bellatrix shot a spell at her abdomen, which glowed bright white. Rabastan began running towards the two women, recognizing it as a spell to detect pregnancy, though it had been negative.

"Mudblood! I see you've made your decision to fight against us. Again." Bellatrix looked very unimpressed with Hermione. "And you got your wand back...how, curious."

Bellatrix turned to look at Rabastan, accusations in her eyes. Just when he thought that he would be able to get to Hermione, to keep her safe, he felt large arms wrap around him. He turned his head to see it was Rodolphus.

"I'll delight in killing you, mudblood. Though I should have done it months ago." Bellatrix cackled, wand trained on Hermione.

Rabastan began to struggle against his captor. "Stop, Dolph, let me go, I need to help her." He said, though his brother's arms were strong and unyielding against him.

He felt Rodolphus sigh. "She had her chance to conceive, but she hasn't fulfilled her role for the family yet. She has to be killed to dissolve the vows." Rodolphus said quietly into his ear. "You will get another chance, once she's gone."

"She hasn't conceived because we haven't tried to." Rabastan hissed back at his brother. He and Hermione had always used contraceptive charms, as Rabastan respected her wish to not be pregnant during the war. He knew that she would carry the next generation when she was ready.

He watched helplessly as Hermione traded curses with Bellatrix, but his sister-in-law was always a bit more _lethal_ than his young bride. He felt Rodolphus shake his head behind him. "I am sorry, Rab. I know that you liked her. I liked her too, and I will be a little sad to see her go. But she's just a mudblood."

"I don't just like her, I _love_ her." Rabastan hissed. Aiming his wand behind him, he sent a strong stinging hex at his brother. Rodolphus was surprised and let go of him enough so that he could wiggle around and face his brother. Before Rodolphus could react, Rabastan sent an incarcerous his way. "And she isn't a mudblood, she's my wife."

"But, I am family." Rodolphus said, upset to be betrayed by his brother.

Rabastan looked at his brother, helpless on the ground. "She is my family now." He then sent a disillusionment spell at his brother, watching him disappear. He felt all of his guilt and the weight of his resentment leave him. All the pressure he'd been feeling was gone.

Turning back to the dueling witches, Rabastan quickly felt his smile fall from his face. Recognizing Bellatrix's wand movements, she was about to send the killing curse at his sweet wife. "No!" He called, sending a protective shield at Hermione, right as Bellatrix cried out the curse.

He watched completely helplessly as the green light of the curse traveled across the courtyard towards Hermione's surprised face. He felt every ounce of love for her travel through his wand and into the shield.

His breath left him as the curse rebounded off of the shield, traveling back at breakneck speed towards Bellatrix. She was still cackling when the curse hit her body, leaving her face permanently in a disturbed smile when she died.

Rabastan could hear the shattered cry of his invisible brother from the ground where he was lying, and felt a stab of guilt run through him. He shook off the feeling though. Bellatrix had never truly been a part of the family, and she'd tried to kill Hermione. She would always take precedence over Bellatrix.

Leaving his brother on the ground, he ran the few paces away to wear Hermione was standing, wrapping her up in his arms. She sagged against him, the reality of being nearly dead racing through her. Rabastan grabbed the sides of her face so that he could look at her, wiping stray tears from her shocked face. "Please, let's go."

Hermione shook her head. "Not until it's over. I can't...I can't leave Harry."

Rabastan frowned, but knew that this was an argument that he could never win. "Have you found the snake yet?" He asked her, wanting more than anything to leave the fighting behind. He hadn't asked for this when he'd been told to join the Death Eaters by his father.

Hermione looked around, trying to catch a glimpse of either Harry or Ron. "No, but we'd gotten a basilisk fang to kill it with." She saw people fighting all over, but she didn't see any sign of her friends. "Circe, where did those two go?" She asked desperately. "I _need_ to find them."

Before they could speak further, the giant wooden bridge off the side of Hogwarts began to collapse in a series of explosions, distracting them momentarily. Hermione watched as numerous people - likely all Death Eaters and Snatchers - fell to their deaths in the deep ravine below.

Next, Hermione heard Professor McGonagall calling for everyone to take cover inside the castle. It seemed that some giants had made their way into the courtyard, and were killing indiscriminately. Hermione tugged on Rabastan's sleeve. "Please, please come inside with me." She begged him, not wanting to see her husband get hurt.

He shook his head. "No! Are you crazy? They will kill me on sight." He told her, pointing to the spot where he'd been wounded by the Order earlier.

Hermione felt tears form in her eyes again, knowing that what he said was true. She still couldn't believe that Remus and Kingsley had hurt him so bad the first time. "I will protect you." She promised, her eyes not leaving his own. "I won't let anyone hurt you again."

Rabastan gave her a small smile, nodding to accept her promise. "Then go, find your friend, and I promise we will find each other when this is all over." His heart was aching at the thought of letting her go.

Hermione nodded, holding her tears back and wrapping her hands around his waist, pulling him against her body, wanting to feel him pressed against her at least one more time. He dipped his head so that his lips might meet hers, desperately holding her to him. He didn't want to let her go, but knew that he needed to.

"Go! Quickly, before I take you home to Jersey." Rabastan told her with a weak smile. He had half a mind to do just that, to keep her safe, but he knew that she would never forgive him for it.

Hermione bit her lip and nodded. She gave him one last longing look, before turning and running the other direction, towards the castle. Hermione was glad to see that most of the fighting was dying down, but all around her, she could see downed people. She was surrounded by so much death.

Merlin, she couldn't believe that Rabastan had killed Bellatrix to protect her. She knew that he told her that he loved her this morning, but she never could have imagined...she was glad though that that awful woman was finally gone and that Rabastan had stood up for himself for once. She'd seen the way that he'd taken on his own brother, and it filled her with admiration.

She was sure that she would take the time to tell him how much it meant to her once this was all over and she holed up with him for a week in _their_ home. She couldn't wait for this all to be over.

Hermione dodged a toppling column on her right. She was nearly into the castle, and then she was sure she'd be reunited with the boys again. Running up the stairs, she ran into Neville. "Neville! So good to see you! Have you seen the boys? I seem to have lost them."

Neville wrapped his arms around her. "I wasn't sure if I was going to see you again. I haven't seen Harry or Ron, but have you seen Hannah Abbott?" He asked her.

Hermione shook her head. "I am sorry, Neville. I haven't seen her since I've been here."

"I have to ask her to be mine. She's the love of my life." Neville told her, a small smile on his face.

Hermione smiled at her friend, knowing how he felt for once in her life. She knew that she felt the same way about Rabastan. Before they could talk further though, she saw a flash of ginger. She'd finally found Harry and Ron again.


	15. Chapter 15

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.

A/N: Thank you so much to everyone who favorited/followed after last chapter. Huge thanks to my reviewers: DarylDixon'sLover, Salinia, winxgirl1997, Venetiangrl92, Sampdoria, colao, SereniteRose, GravesHeart, surugasasa, christie . march, Avalon Starfire, animelover5107, Smithback, chibi-Clar, roon0, Lrblucky13, JuliSt, Aria DeLoncray, Guest, laumirot, supersmallfeet, articcat621, Pwrmom2, Mc111, and Guest!

Off topic question - do any of you like the tv show Peaky Blinders?

I hope that you guys like this - part two of the battle. Only one chapter left! I would love to know what you think of this one, so please let me know - and be on the lookout for chapter sixteen next week!

* * *

Hermione waved at Harry and Ron while she ran up the stairs. When she finally met them on the landing in the middle she was out of breath. "Harry! Ron! Where have you been?" She asked, resisting the urge to put her arms on her hips like she was scolding them.

"Where have _you_ been?" Ron said, his voice bordering on suspicion and teasing. "You are so out of breath."

Hermione scoffed. "I was out fighting in the courtyard, looking for Nagini. Bellatrix is dead." She said with a bit of pride, remembering that it was her husband that had killed the awful witch, but still letting her two friends think that she'd done it.

"Nice one." Ron said quietly, impressed with the knowledge. "We were off at the Shrieking Shack." He said quietly.

Hermione let her eyes wander over Harry's face. He was clearly distraught about something. "Voldemort killed Snape...or rather, had his snake do it." Harry said with a grimace, clearly still remembering the act that they'd witnessed. "He gave me some memories."

Hermione's eyebrows knit together in confusion. "Memories? What for?" She asked, confused as to what Snape could have possibly wanted to show Harry. Sure, from talking to Draco, she knew that Snape had tried to keep things together during his tenure as Headmaster at Hogwarts, but as far as she knew he was still a Death Eater through and through.

"He was with us until the end." Harry said, a tortured look on his face. "He was in love with my mum all this time, and...and my father was horrible to him." Hermione's own face softened, seeing how much it hurt Harry. "And, even though I was an absolute little shit, he still looked out for me."

"We didn't know." Hermione said weakly, as if it could erase all the mistrust that Snape had likely faced through the years.

"And he didn't agree with Dumbledore." Harry said firmly, understanding now that he'd had an ally in Snape, even if he'd never realized it. He felt tears coming to his eyes, but quickly blinked them away. "I am a _horcrux_ Hermione." Harry whispered. "I have to go face Voldemort now, and...I am going to die."

Hermione couldn't believe what he was saying. Shaking her head, she wrapped her arms around her oldest friend. "No, no you don't have to die, Harry. Please, we can find another way."

Harry hugged her back, smiling wryly, before shaking his head. "No, there isn't another way. It's time." He said with a finality that suggested that he'd accepted his fate.

Ron hugged his pair of friends, not caring who saw. "Let us go with you. We should be by your side when you face him."

Again, Harry shook his head. "No, I need you two to find the snake. And then, he will be mortal again. It will be up to you and the rest of the Order to finish him off. Let's end this once and for all.

* * *

Hermione stared at the limp form of her best friend being carried by Hagrid. He was the head of a parade of victory, lead by Voldemort. She knew that she'd said goodbye to Harry for probably the last time, but she couldn't believe that it had actually happened. He'd come through so many death defying situations before unscathed. She couldn't believe that this one was different.

Ginny Weasley's anguished cries were a sickening aria accompanied by an orchestra of sniffles and tears from the surrounding students and Order members. Professor McGonagall's usually coiffed hair was down and she had a look of stunned disbelief.

Hermione couldn't even listen to Voldemort's little celebration speech, and instead her eyes wandered over the Death Eaters, looking for her husband. She met his stricken light green eyes and for a moment she wished that she had run away with him. She could be blissfully unaware of everything that had happen if she was on a tropical island discussing arithmancy.

She was pulled from her thoughts when she heard Voldemort calling for Draco to come across the courtyard and join his rightful place among the Death Eaters. He briefly met her eyes, before resigning himself to his fate, slowly walking past the rubble, only to be embraced by Voldemort.

Once he was released, he was quickly embraced by Narcissa and led away from the school. Hermione didn't know what to think, but she knew that Draco was the most important thing to Narcissa and she would keep him safe at all costs.

"Hermione Granger!" She heard her name bellowed by Voldemort. "You dare defy me after I have given you a life that many would envy?" He asked.

Hermione took a deep breath before stepping forward. She knew that this could be the end for her, but she had to face him head on. When she left this morning, she knew that it was a possibility that she might die. She felt Ron's hand on her's, trying to pull her back, but shook it off. "I told you that I would _never_ support you." She said vehemently.

She heard outraged gasps on the Death Eater side of the fight. "How did you even get here?" He asked, with a frown.

Hermione felt her heart speed up, not wanting to cause any trouble for Rabastan. "You left the floo open." She hoped that sounded as flippant as she intended.

Voldemort seethed. "Unfortunately, your new...status...means that I cannot punish you publically. Return to your husband now. He will see that you are dealt with." Voldemort looked at Rabastan, who nodded, but didn't make eye contact with the Dark Lord.

Hermione sighed, before walking across the courtyard to be returned to Rabastan. Before she could make it half way across, though, Harry - Harry that wonderful boy - thrust himself from Hagrid's arms, and landed on his feet. "No! I won't let you take Hermione again!"

Before Hermione could even comprehend the way that he had stood up for her, the fighting exploded again, curses and hexes firing past her. Some of the Death Eaters were apparating away, unable to believe that Harry had survived a killing curse _again_. How could they stand with Voldemort when he couldn't even kill Potter?

One Death Eater, though, ran towards her, wrapping her up in his arms. Rabastan's scent filled her nostrils, and she couldn't believe that he was here again, protecting her. She never wanted to let him go.

A slicing hex caught him by the arm, though, and they began fighting side by side, sending offensive spells at Death Eaters and protective enchantments to keep the Order at bay. It didn't take the other Death Eaters long to figure out that Rabastan had changed sides, so they were quiet a target.

Hermione was momentarily distracted by the sound of someone drawing a sword. Looking around, she spotted Neville Longbottom, standing at the top of the stairs, sword of Gryffindor in his hands. Hermione smiled, thinking that there wasn't a more worthy Gryffindor to hold the sword. She cheered when she watched Neville swing his arms down and behead Nagini, Voldemort's final horcrux.

She spotted the part of the courtyard where Harry and Voldemort were locked in a fierce duel. This was his best chance, Hermione realized, but everything was up to Harry at this point. He had to finish this, and she never had believed in her friend more.

The sound of a curse being thrown their way brought Hermione back to the present. She saw Tonks advancing on her and Rabastan and knew that the young auror had one thing on her mind - getting rid of Rabastan.

Hermione didn't want to face Tonks, but she knew that what she had said earlier was absolutely true. She wouldn't let anyone hurt Rabastan. He'd fought his own brother for her and killed Bellatrix Lestrange, and anyone who was willing to go to those lengths for her, for her love, she was going to do everything she could to keep them safe.

She put up shield spell after shield spell, watching Tonks get annoyed, but not wanting to hurt the auror either. Hermione watched as her hair got darker and darker red, clearly getting annoyed by being constantly thwarted. "What the hell, Hermione? Stop with the shield spells. I am trying to rescue you, not hurt you."

Hermione shook her head. "I don't need rescuing Tonks. Rabastan would never hurt me." She could see that Rabastan was tense at the publicness of her proclamation, but he was happy for her to stand up for him. Plus, he was still trying to get rid of Dolohov, who was proving to be quite persistent.

Tonks was clearly confused. "Hermione, I need you to trust me. I know that you have been through a lot with...Rabastan...but, I need you to trust me. I will take you to safety and we can remove this unnatural hold he has on you." Tonks was trying to gain her trust but it wasn't working.

"He doesn't have an unnatural hold on me. I love him, and nothing you can do will make me want to leave him." Hermione said. "Now, please help us fight the Death Eaters, or I will be forced to fight with you. I don't want that Tonks." She was one hundred percent serious and held her wand tightly in her hand, hoping that it didn't come to a duel.

Without speaking, Tonks threw a Reducto spell at Rabastan, which Hermione was barely able to block. Seeing that Tonks had made her decision, Hermione frowned, but sent an incarcerous at the auror's form. Afterwards she sent protections at her so that she wouldn't be hurt by the others fighting around them.

Rabastan felt her breath leave him, so pleased that his wife had chosen him, but he knew it wouldn't be the last time that their relationship faced opposition.

* * *

Hermione wasn't sure what exactly had happened when Harry had finally killed Voldemort, just that cheers had erupted all over the Hogwarts ground that he was truly and finally gone. She did know that she was in a passionate embrace with Rabastan, excited that a very different world had been avoided, not caring who saw them.

It didn't take Ron and Harry long to find them, though. Ron separated the pair with a jinx, sending Rabastan sprawling, unsuspecting, onto the hard ground. "Ron!" Hermione cried. "What are you doing?"

"I'm protecting you from this foul Death Eater." He said, his eyes narrowed, not liking the way that the dark man had had his arms around Hermione.

"I already told the Order, I don't need protection from Rabastan. He is my husband, and I love him." She said quietly, trying to get Harry and Ron to see reason.

Harry frowned. "Hermione, you don't love him. I am sure that you got used to him, since you were around him so much this past year. It's like Stockholm Syndrome, yeah?" He was upset to see his independent friend so adamant about protecting her husband.

"It is not Stockholm Syndrome!" Hermione said insistently. "And in any case, he is it for me. We've consummated our wedded vows." She said with a slight blush on her cheeks. Though she wasn't embarrassed to discuss their love, she didn't really want to talk to Harry and Ron about how she'd had sex with him. "It's until death do us part."

"That's not a problem." Ron said, leveling his wand at the green eyed man, still on the ground. "I will just kill him, and then you and I can be together."

Seeing the intent to kill in his eyes, Hermione was horrified. "No!" She cried, before leaping to stand in the way of Ron and Rabastan. She shielded her husband's body with her own, tears coming to run down her face. "I won't let you kill him. I love him."

She could hear Harry and Ron sighing. She knew that it would take them time to come around to her new husband, but she'd hoped that they wouldn't try to kill him outright. "He's been on our side for months. We destroyed a horcrux together. He protected me from Bellatrix, killed her for me." All the words came tumbling out of her mouth.

She felt Rabastan's fingers running through her tangled curls, and sagged against his body. She wasn't going to give him up now. Looking up, she noticed that she was surrounded by Order members, all looking at her, very concerned. "Please don't hurt him. We will leave and never come back." She pleaded.

Remus was the first to speak. "Hermione, he's a Death Eater. We can't just let him go."

Hermione practically growled at him. "Well, I won't let _you_ have him. You almost killed him once before."

Remus looked shocked, but clearly remembered the incident. "I didn't know that you felt about him this way, Hermione. We all thought that you were in danger."

Finally, Arthur Weasley cleared his throat. "Hermione, he _is_ a Death Eater. We are going to need to arrest him, but he will have a trial. You can support him there and make sure that he gets a fair one." He saw Hermione deflate, sensing that all of her friends were against her. "And, I will sit with you, if you'd like, at the Wizengamot."

She could feel Rabastan's body beneath her, tense and unyielding. "This time." She hissed, glaring at the aurors among their numbers. "Last time they put an underage wizard in Azkaban." Hermione looked into his spring green eyes, apologizing. She knew that there was no way to get them out of this alive at the current time.

Rabastan nodded, knowing what she was asking. "Alright, I will let you take him, but can I have a moment alone with him to say goodbye?" Her voice sounded small, and broken, but the Order members in charged nodded, but looked concerned. Ron look disgusted.

Hermione helped Rabastan to his feet and she sighed again as he wrapped his arm around her, pulling her face to look at him. Hermione felt her tears begin anew, seeing his defeated face search hers. His slight accent came out in his stress. "Do not worry about me, Hermione, it's nothing I haven't been through before."

"I won't let them hurt you, Rabastan, I promise." He could see the fierce determination in her face, and knew that she was being earnest. "I _will_ get you out, as soon as I can." Her hair was wild around her, as though she was some fierce goddess.

Rabastan smiled at her and let his fingers tuck a curl behind her ear. "I believe in you. You will have access to the house and if Maurice doesn't listen to you, tell him I will be very disappointed in how he is treating the future mother of my children."

Hermione blushed. "I want that, Rabastan. I want to help to continue _our_ family line." She said. Motherhood hadn't been something that she had contemplated much as a student, wanting to get through schooling first, but now she knew that it was something, she wanted with Rabastan.

Hearing her words made his face morph into something intoxicating. He was so happy with her words, he couldn't stop from dipping his face to pull her into a passionate kiss. Hermione couldn't stop from moaning when his tongue stroked against hers. "There will be time." He told her, when he finally broke the kiss, breathless.

"Alright, Hermione, it's time." Remus said, from the periphery. He didn't sound at all reluctant.

Hermione just wrapped her arms around Rabastan, holding him tighter. "I don't want you to go." She said, breathless.

Rabastan hugged her back, before gently pressing against her shoulders. "I know, darling, but I have to go."

Hermione looked up at him, smirking at the pet name she'd initially hated, but now loved. She reluctantly let him go, and watched as Kingsley took his wand and bound his hands together behind his back. "I promise that I will get you out!" Hermione said, unable to remove her eyes from his form. "Soon!"

With a pop, they had apparated away, leaving Hermione crying. Harry walked over to her side, tentatively, wrapping an arm around her. Ron stayed away, look disgusted at a girl that he'd been thinking of for months. How could she betray them this way?

Hermione hugged Harry back. "Oh Harry! What am I going to do?" She asked, her mind already whirring about what and who could be counted on for Rabastan's defense. She'd need to get a solicitor first thing in the morning and she'd need to collect her memories into a pensive. The sooner the better the memory was.

Harry patted her on the back, awkwardly. "Everything will work out okay Hermione." He said, feeling sorry for Hermione's anguish. "Let's get you somewhere where you can get a hot meal, hell I could use one too."

"I don't know." Hermione said. "I kind of just want to go to sleep. I don't know if I can be around everyone judging me right now, when they have no idea of what I've been through." She hated the pitying looks and confusion about why she would risk her life for a Death Eater.

Harry nodded. "I understand, Hermione. Will you please owl me when you are ready to talk?" He asked, understanding Hermione's need to be alone, but desperately needing to know what had gone on with her for the past few months.

"I will, but...will you be ready to listen?" Hermione asked, before popping away to her home in Jersey. When she arrived in the little sitting room, she found that Maurice was waiting for her.

Even though the little house elf didn't particularly care for her, he looked at her distraught form and quickly ushered her up and put her to bed. Hermione hugged the pillow as she drifted off to sleep, wishing that it was Rabastan she was holding onto.


	16. Chapter 16

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.

A/N: Huge shout out to EVERYONE who favorited or followed this story, and everyone who took the time to review! Big thanks to reviewers from last chapter: winxgirl1997, Pwrmom2, uwishuwerecool, DarylDixon'sLover, Avalon Starfire, Andree 07, articcat621, thelight-ofnight, JuliSt, Guest, chibi-Clar, Smithback, sugurasasa, Hollowg1rl, Lrblucky13, Malik Zelix Cullen, Guest, A Week of Sundays, supersmallfeet, SereniteRose, animelover5107, Sampdoria, Anna Alexis, Calimocho, SilverIce523, and Mc111! This story has gotten so much more response than I ever could have expected for a rare pair, and your continued support means so so much!

If you are looking for other stuff by me, I have some things in the works. You can check out my profile or tumblr (nauticalparamour) for updates. I did just publish the first chapter of a new story that I am really excited about yesterday. It's called Sleeper, and I would love if you would check it out (I know some of you already have!).

Well, here is is, the last chapter. Please please please let me know what you thought! I am happy with the ending, but were there any loose ends that you don't feel were resolved sufficiently? Did you like it? Let me know and thank you all once again!

* * *

 **Maybe if the stars align, maybe if our worlds collide**  
 **Maybe on the dark side we could be together, be together**

"Well, today's the day." Harry said to Hermione, sitting across from her at the breakfast bar of the Lestrange home in Jersey. It had taken her a few days for her to finally reach out to him after the battle. But, when he arrived, he had patiently listened to Hermione's explanation of her relationship with Rabastan.

Harry had been pleasantly surprised to learn that Rabastan hadn't pushed a sexual relationship with his friend, and had waited to consummate their relationship until she was ready. He'd been surprised to learn that it had taken quite so long.

He had scoffed when he heard that Rabastan's reasons for leaving Voldemort and the pureblood dogma was purely statistical, but Hermione reminded him that not everyone can be expected to change their thinking over night, especially if they'd grown up with it. Harry was surprised to hear that several Lestranges had married half-bloods for the purpose of reinvigorating their lines.

Harry was impressed to hear that Rabastan had helped Hermione locate a horcrux and destroy it. Destroying the locket with Ron had nearly broken their relationship completely. He was even more impressed to hear that he'd fought his own brother and killed Bellatrix to save Hermione. It made him finally accept that maybe his friend's husband wasn't so bad.

The reason, though, that Harry decided to support Rabastan's side of the trial, was when Hermione told him about how he'd been falsely imprisoned in Azkaban for an equal amount of time as Sirius had been. Although Harry could recognize he did have a bit more evidence against him, he couldn't accept that Rabastan had been imprisoned as an underaged wizard. It just wasn't right.

It hadn't been easy, though. Harry had to break the news that Ron would probably never support her relationship with Rabastan, even _after_ she'd passed a psychological examination at St. Mungo's. Ron had requested a welfare check for Hermione, thinking that she had been cursed or had her memories modified.

She'd spent a week in the hospital, letting healers poke around in her mind until she'd satisfied them that she really had just developed feelings for Rabastan naturally. It had been rather violating to have their relationship subjected to a fine tooth comb, but there wasn't anything she could do about it right now.

Still, her friendship with Ronald was now fractured, seeing as he just couldn't accept that she might love someone else that wasn't him. It broke her heart to lose one of her friends, but she knew that Ron was like this. He'd tossed her and Harry aside more than once during their sixth years as Hogwarts students, and had apparently come quite close to leaving Harry alone while they were on the run. She knew that he would come around eventually, barely apologizing, and expecting things to go back to normal. She didn't know if she'd be able to forgive him.

The other Weasleys were coming around, but at their own pace. At least they would still speak to her and not categorically ignore her like Ron did. It had come to her surprise their reason for coming around, as she'd been completely unaware. It seemed that Rabastan had shielded Fred from a wall that undoubtedly would have killed him.

Hermione had needed to do some cajoling, but she was eventually able to get Fred to testify on Rabastan's behalf. She'd promised him that he didn't need to say anything about Rabastan's character, simply tell the Wizengamot what had happened. He'd done it, but only after extracting a promise from Hermione that she would consult on joke products in his newly re-opened shop.

Fred's testimony had done worlds of good, and of course Hermione's memories of how he'd protected her and helped her with the horcrux had also aided in Rabastan's defense. She hated seeing him in the Azkaban jumpsuit, looking relatively worse for wear, but still her same Rabastan. She couldn't imagine what it was like to go back to Azkaban.

She'd done a lot of testifying after the war. She'd also been called as a character witness for Draco and Narcissa Malfoy. She'd enthusiastically participated in Draco's trial, telling them about how he'd immediately tried to help her, finding and destroying a horcrux, and how he'd provided her with material support to find further horcruxes. He'd been cleared of all charges, begrudgingly, but the public still didn't care for someone who bore the Dark Mark. Since he'd been released, he'd been a constant at Rabastan's trials.

Hermione gave Narcissa a less stellar review, compelled to share with them the way that Narcissa had forced her to marry Rabastan, but also telling the Wizengamot about the good she'd done for Hermione, how comfortable she'd made Hermione. Hermione also shared that she thought Narcissa's primary concern was keeping her family safe.

With Harry's testimony that Narcissa had lied to Voldemort, Narcissa had been given a year of house arrest, as the Wizengamot found her complicit in her husband's crimes, as well as sheltering Voldemort in her home.

Hermione had immediately gotten involved in Rabastan's case, working closely with a well regarded solicitor who was somehow related to Theo Nott. Still, Nikephoros Slewyn had come highly recommended, and quickly took Hermione's suggestions on board. He'd also greatly appreciated all of the research into Wizarding law that she was doing, going so far as to offer her an apprenticeship at his firm.

She told him that she would think about it when Rabastan's trial was over, as getting her husband safely home was her primary concern right now. Not to mention that she hadn't even finished her N.E.W.T.s yet!

Rabastan had a variety of other witnesses, including his brother, who had admitted that Rabastan hadn't participated in the torture of Frank and Alice Longbottom, only that he had been made to come along. That it wasn't his choice to be a Death Eater, but rather, his father was the one who made him join. Hermione knew that Rodolphus wasn't able to do much to help his brother any longer, but that this was one small stepping stone in forgiveness.

Not everyone believed that testimony. Neville still wouldn't speak to her once he'd found out that she was choosing to stay with Rabastan. He just couldn't understand her desire to be with someone who'd been involved with what happened to his parents. Harry told her that he would come around, but Hermione wasn't holding her breath.

The most damning evidence, against the Ministry, had been the evidence that they had sentenced an underaged wizard to Azkaban. Hermione had been utterly delighted to read all the resulting opinion pieces in the Daily Prophet after that bit of evidence came out. Most people were completely outraged to hear of that. To mention that he'd been there for fourteen years was unforgivable to many of the people writing in.

But, as Harry had reminded her, today was the day that Rabastan would be given a ruling. He had managed to keep his nose out of most of Voldemort's activities since being freed from Azkaban, but he had been at the break in at the Department of Mysteries. Hermione refused to press charges for being made to marry him.

Dressed in her best dress robes, she had Harry escort her to the Wizengamot, where she would sit directly behind her husband to show her unwavering support. She held Harry's hand tightly when the Chief Warlock began to speak.

"Although we the members of the Wizengamot have found that you have been held unjustly in the past, your crimes cannot be overlooked." The booming voice said from the dias. Hermione felt tears in her eyes and held Harry's hand tightly. "However, your good deeds, proven her by upstanding witches and wizards stand in your favor."

"We have decided to commute your sentence to time served. However, you will have to remain under house arrest for a year, and your wand will be monitored for twenty years, with review every five years. You are free to go Mr. Lestrange."

Hermione could barely contain her whoop of joy and ran down the stairs to hug Rabastan. He didn't care who it was that saw them and wrapped her up in an embrace that had some members awwing and some members shaking their heads in disgust. "I am so glad that I can take you home now." Hermione said, punctuating each word with a kiss.

"Thank you for keeping your promise, and not giving up on me." Rabastan pushed her curly hair behind her ear. "I know hearing some of the things that I've done cannot have been pleasant." His light green eyes looked worried.

Hermione swallowed thickly. It hadn't been nice, but it hadn't changed her love for him. Plus, she wanted to focus on the future with him, not the past. "Come on, I want you to meet Harry properly. He's been supporting me through all of this."

She dragged him over to her bespeckled friend and watched in amusement as the pair of them awkwardly shook hands. She knew that things were going to be difficult for a while, but she had great hope that the new normal would suit them.

* * *

"I can't believe Kingsley is doing this to me!" Hermione practically shouted, pacing back and forth in the kitchen. "I voted for him for Merlin's sake." Hermione had been working with the Minister of Magic to see if she could get her husband special permission to attend the birth of his children with her.

Rabastan came up behind her and put a loving hand on the swell of her belly. She was having twins and because of the risk, the healers had scheduled her to be induced. The only problem was, it was two weeks before Rabastan was set to be off his house arrest. "Calm yourself, darling. It will be fine."

"I just...I need you there with me." She said, truly upset that her husband wouldn't be allowed to attend the birth. He'd already been denied the pleasure of attending all of the healer's appointments. "It's not right." She said, wiping away the tears in her eyes.

Her pregnancy had come as somewhat of a surprise. Neither one of them talked much about intending to get pregnant when Hermione just stopped using contraceptive spells. She just figured that it would happen when it happened. But neither one of them had expected her to become pregnant so quickly.

Once Hermione and Rabastan had returned home when he was freed, they both discussed their desire for further education. Seeing as neither one was able to complete their N.E.W.T.s, Hermione had arranged for them both to take their courses via correspondence. Although Rabastan was a little rusty on a lot of his subjects, it was nice to have a competent study partner. He really was brilliant at arithmancy.

Hermione, being able to leave the house, was able to go to the Ministry to be tested and received nine Outstandings for her hard work. She was still contemplating Slewyn's offer to come work for him.

She'd felt awful, being that Rabastan wouldn't be able to take his N.E.W.T.s until once he was off house arrest, but he'd promised her that they would celebrate properly after he'd passed his, seeing as she was about three months along when she'd found gotten her own results. Rabastan was planning on attempting a mastery in Arthimancy once he got his N.E.W.T.s.

If they were surprised to learn that she'd become pregnant so quickly, they certainly weren't expecting to get two children on the first go. She wasn't sure if she should be nervous or excited. Ginny had gone with to all of Hermione's appointments, seeing as Rabastan wasn't able to attend, and she didn't want Draco or Harry to go with, and cause all kinds of drama in the newspapers.

It was actually one of the things that quickly repaired Ginny and Hermione's relationship. Once she found out that she was having twins, it brought Mrs. Weasley more firmly over to Hermione's side as well. The older woman knew how much support she would need with two children.

Everyone else was able to see how much it affected both Hermione and Rabastan to not have him there during such significant milestones of the pregnancy's progression, so why couldn't Kingsley just give them a pass this one time? He would be with her the whole time in the hospital, and she was already going to be surrounded by aurors. Cursing under her breath, Hermione shook her head. "It's not right. I will just have to push back the appointment until you can be there with me."

She turned to look at Rabastan's brilliant light green eyes. It was the most logical decision. His voice was strained, and she could clearly hear his slight accent. "That is dangerous for you and the children. No, I don't want that...I can be there for the...the next one."

Hermione shook her head knowing that he was truly hurt not being able to attend his heirs' birth. "Exactly, Kingsley is endangering me. I should let him know, too." She had a determined look on her face that meant business. "I will go tell him now."

* * *

He'd waited until the twins were christened to go visit Rodolphus in Azkaban. Honestly, he wasn't entirely sure how he'd pulled it together to go there by himself, but he didn't want Hermione going there. In his pocket, he carried a picture of his two new perfect children to show his older sibling.

Rabastan wasn't sure why he felt compelled to visit his brother, seeing as he didn't think he could ever forgive him for wanting to murder his wife. If he dug deep enough, he'd probably put it on family. Even though he'd resented the responsibility of carrying on the Lestrange name for so many years, he wanted his brother to know that the Lestrange name would be well taken care of. Even with half-blood heirs.

"Hello Rodolphus." He greeted his brother, trying to keep his tone neutral, but it was hard not to see him so haggard. "I come to bring you some good news." He slipped the wizarding photograph between the bars of the cell.

Rodolphus took it eagerly. In the picture, Hermione and him were smiling, while two sets of godparents held their children - Draco, Millicent, Harry Potter and Ginny Weasley. Rodolphus smiled, perhaps his first smile in a year, and stroked the page, enjoying the movements of the tiny bundles. "What did you call them?"

"Arista and Russell." Rabastan said quietly. Hermione had suggested Arista, after his half-blood ancestor, saying that their daughter would be in good company. Rabastan had suggested the name Russell, after seeing the dark reddish brown hair that his son had. Plus, his family had a penchant for R names.

"A son and daughter in one try." Rodolphus said with a grin, showing off his dirty teeth. "I guess you didn't need tips after all. I am very happy for you brother."

Rabastan nodded. "I just wanted you to know that the family was in good hands. I hoped...it might ease your mind somewhat." He sighed, not wanting to say the next part, but knowing it was necessary. "I won't visit this place again...I have already spent too much of my life here."

Rodolphus nodded, some sadness seeping back into his mind. He knew that he had helped his brother what little he could during his trial, but that it wouldn't absolve him of his sins. "I...understand. May I keep this?" He asked, gesturing to the picture.

Rabastan nodded. "Goodbye, brother." He offered his hand through the bars and let Rodolphus grasp his hand for a moment, keeping eye contact. But, then, he let it go, and it was time for Rabastan to leave.

Without a second look back at his brother, Rabastan turned and left Azkaban as quickly as possible. He wanted to get home to Hermione as quickly as possible. She had chased all the darkness from his life, sharing bits and pieces of her to show him how much she'd sacrifice for the light side.

When he returned home, Hermione was sitting in the library, with the twins. She looked so radiant to him, more radiant than the day that she'd brought their beautiful children into the world. Yes, he'd been able to witness the birth, but only after Harry Potter had given his personal promise as an auror to keep track of him. It was something he'd be forever grateful for.

She looked up at him, holding Arista in her arms. "How was it?" She asked, knowing that it was so hard for him to face what he was and what he'd been through for so many years.

He sat down, kissing his pretty little wife on the lips, delighting in the way that she melted against him. "As well as can be expected. He is happy for us." Rabastan knew that that wasn't what Rodolphus had said, but it wasn't worth it to upset Hermione. "It fills me with so many regrets."

Hermione smiled at him. "As much as I hate the person you used to be, the man that you supported, I can't help but be thankful for it, sometimes. Without the dark side, we never would have had a chance to be together." Hermione told him, pleased. "I never would have given you a second look."

"You wouldn't have been distracted by my dashing good looks on the battlefield?" He asked, knowing just how much she enjoyed his physical form.

"Hmm, facing you over unforgivable curses doesn't really lend itself to attraction." Hermione said with a giggle. "But I certainly never would have come to see how much we have in common, how intelligent you are, and I certainly wouldn't have come out of this war, stronger with your support. I love you, Rabastan." She was suddenly shy, telling him so much.

"Do you ever worry about what we will tell them, about our relationship?" He said, gesturing to their two children.

Hermione took a deep breath. "I imagine we will have to have a frank conversation with them once they are old enough to understand." She rested her hand on Rabastan's arm. "I am not going to hide my heritage from my children, Rabastan."

He nodded, kissing his daughter on the top of her head. "I am never going to hide my love for you from my children." He sighed, not realizing he'd been holding his breath. "I hope that one day they will understand."

Hermione snuggled into his arm, delighting in his presence now that they were truly together. "I am sure that they will."

"I am glad." He told her, unable to believe how well things had worked out for him.

"Hm?" She asked, a bit confused.

"That we got a chance to be together." He told her. He never thought it was possible that he'd find happiness with swotty Hermione Granger, but he had. And he was certainly better for it.


End file.
